Beaming with excitement, I asked my supervisor if we would ever fully excavate the refuse pit. To this, he said no. I was confused, but he explained that while the presence of artifacts in this area is undeniable, there is little to no interest in artifacts from this period or in artifacts in such poor condition. While excavating the site would unearth many objects, with no museum interest and an inability by the Park Service to house, catalog, and maintain so many artifacts, their safety would be in doubt, and many would be lost. He continued, saying the 'primary goal of archeologists is preserving historical objects. If these objects are safe in the ground, the ground is where they will stay. Nature I find is often the best preserver.' This was a bit of a shock. I always thought archeologists were trying to unearth as many artifacts as possible. I never considered buried artifacts 'preserved' or the logistical difficulties of housing these objects. This experience drastically changed how I see the archeology field and its goals. In the past, I thought the goal was the unearthing of artifacts. Now I think of it as the preservation of history.