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Idaho Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month

Each year the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office organizes and promotes statewide opportunities for the public to learn about Idaho archaeology, history, and historic preservation. The Idaho Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month program is a celebration of everything dealing with Idaho’s archaeology and history. Events, presentations, and programs have been reaching all corners of the state for over 30 years! Please join us in the celebration.

Dig Into Idaho’s Mining History

This year marks the 150th anniversary of both the opening of the U.S. Treasury Department Assay Office in Boise and the passage of the 1872 General Mining Law which authorizes and regulates hard rock mining on federal lands. Hard rock mining usually involves extracting non-fuel metal and mineral deposits, such as gold, silver, iron, copper, zinc, and lead, among others, from solid ores or eroded deposits in streambeds. While mining has always held an important place in the state’s history, 2022 provides a unique opportunity to pause and reflect on the technological innovations, environmental implications, and economic and legal ramifications of hard rock mining in Idaho.


Throughout the year the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office and the larger Idaho State Historical Society will employ this topic to engage the public in educational outreach, focus our existing programs, and invest public and private funds in the maintenance and rehabilitation of the U.S. Assay Office and its landscaped grounds.

Additionally, our social media will regularly feature historic sites with mining associations from across the Gem State.

Available Posters

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