Archaeological Identification and Evaluation Survey
Highlighted Project
The
primary goal of an archaeological identification survey is to locate and
identify cultural resources that may be present within a given project area.
The survey begins with consultation between the client or agency and the
State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO)/ Tribal Historic Preservation
Officer (THPO). If the project may occur on or affect tribal lands, one or
more Indian tribes may also be included in the consultation process. After
the project area and scope of work have been designated, information about
known or potential historic properties is collected. An historic property
can include prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, structures,
objects, and/or buildings. Information is assembled from a variety of
sources, including existing cultural resource management reports, state site
files, consultation with knowledgeable persons, oral history interviews, and
field survey. These tasks are conducted under The Secretary’s Standards and
Guidelines for Identification as well as applicable professional, state,
tribal, and local laws and guidelines. If the project has the potential to
impact known historic properties or areas judged to be sensitive to contain
cultural materials, PAL will recommend that an evaluation survey be
undertaken.
Evaluation surveys are designed to collect information necessary to evaluate a site in terms of its potential for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. For archaeological sites, evaluation usually includes the background research and field testing designed to determine the basic attributes of the site, such as size, age, and function. The information gathered during the survey must be sufficient to allow the application of the National Register Criteria (36 CFR part 63) for listing. In general, these criteria state that cultural resources may be considered significant, and therefore eligible for listing in the National Register, if they are associated with persons or events important in the broad patterns of our history, represent a distinctive type or possess high artistic value, or have the potential to yield important information about prehistory or history. A site is considered eligible for listing on the National Register if one or more of the criteria are met.