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Impacts of Fire on Cultural Resources

Impacts of Fire on Cultural Resources. A Cultural Resource Is…. A fragile and nonrenewable remain of human activity. We’ll Talk About…. What Constitutes a Cultural Resource Fire’s Effects Impacts of Burn Preparation / Suppression Management Considerations. Broad Scope. Time Periods

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Impacts of Fire on Cultural Resources

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  1. Impacts of Fire on Cultural Resources

  2. A Cultural Resource Is… • A fragile and nonrenewable remain of human activity.

  3. We’ll Talk About… • What Constitutes a Cultural Resource • Fire’s Effects • Impacts of Burn Preparation / Suppression • Management Considerations

  4. Broad Scope • Time Periods • Prehistoric • Historic • Contemporary

  5. Global Perspective • Australia / Africa • 40,000 years of continuous occupation • Europe • 6,000 years of landscape alteration • The Americas • 18,000+/- years of continuous occupation

  6. Classes of Cultural Remnants Artifacts, Traces and Sites

  7. Artifact = Functional, deliberate object • Inorganics • Stone • Ceramics • Glass • Metal • Concrete • Organics • Wood • Fibers • Leather, fur • Structures • Dwellings • Fences

  8. Traces = Evidence of use or alteration • Intentional • Depressions, teepee rings • Pictographs, petroglyphs • Blazes on trails • Accidental • Smoke/carbon on walls • Remains • Graves • Shell mounds and middens (Middens are places where food remains, such as shellfish and animal bones, ash and charcoal from fires, and broken or worn out tools were thrown away, dumped or buried.) • Animal bones (diet, hunting, tools) • Pollen (agriculture, diet)

  9. Sites • Spiritual sites • Traditional use areas • Battlegrounds • Trails • Cabins • Mines • Camps

  10. Potential for Fire Damage • Heating • Combustion • Smoke • Char • Rapid temperature change

  11. Physical and Chemical Damage • Organic • Consumption • Structural Breakdown • Pollen, bones • Charring • Inorganics • Stone • Crack, shatter, oxidize, color change • Ceramics • Break, brittleness, smudge, alter paint • Metal/Glass • Melt Archaeologists pose with their work, an excavated hut at "Camp Misery," an immense Civil War Union Army camp in Stafford County. (Photo: Taft Kiser)

  12. Mitigating Factors • Soil depth • Soil moisture • Fuel load • Sensitivity to heat • Duration of heating • Peak maximum temperature

  13. Impacts on Dating Techniques • Tree Rings • Fire Scars • Radiocarbon • Thermoluminescence • Obsidian hydration • Archaeo-magnetic • Cation-ratio

  14. Erosion, Exposure and Looting • Soil erosion = loss of archaeological data. • Damage from rain, new drainages • Physical damage from falling snags • Increased visibility = vulnerability to vandalism and illegal collection.

  15. Burn Preparation and Suppression  Impacts are often more severe than fire itself • Fireline construction • Water and Retardant • Vehicular traffic • Mopup • Erosion control

  16. Damage Prevention • Pre-fire Planning • Identify and map areas of concern • Include map in fire management plans • During Fire • Cultural Resource Specialist on-site • Provide IC with resource map • Inform crews about what to look for • Post-fire Assessment • Track effects over time • Before/after experiments

  17. Management Issues • Is the effect of fire on materials important? • Is the potential impact of prescribed fire acceptable relative to wildfire threats? • Has the area burned routinely in the past? • Is fire needed to maintain the cultural site? • Can the prescribed fire plan be modified? • Location, dates, fire behavior

  18. Protection Measures • Reduce fuels near vulnerable sites • Create fire breaks (carefully!) • Cover structures: foam, water, wrap • Use low intensity fires. • Use fast spreading fires where residence time is an issue. • Reduce hazard trees near structures

  19. Why is Fire an Issue Now? • Cumulative information loss • Changes in fuel loads • Intense management practices • Advanced aging techniques • More people desiring artifacts • Recent laws and regulations

  20. Laws and Regulations • Antiquities Act – 1906 • Historic Sites Act – 1935 • National Historical Preservation Act – 1966 • National Environmental Policy Act – 1969 • Archaeological & Historic Preservation Act – 1974 • Archaeological Resources Protection Act - 1979 • Native American Graves Protection Act - 1990

  21. Every Site is Unique • Unique mix of historic and prehistoric cultures with different artifacts. • Unique fuel characteristics that exhibit different fire behavior. • In some cases, fire can offer some archaeological opportunities. • In all cases, resource knowledge is critical to avoid damage.

  22. In conclusion • List cultural resource concerns related to fire operations. • What might be damaged? • Where should you avoid putting crews or bulldozers? • Are there any areas that must be protected from fire? • What artifacts or cultural traces might you expect to find? • Consider different cultural periods, prehistoric and historic • Artifacts, traces, alterations • What are the likely effects of fire on each? • Consumption • Erosion • Exposure • Breakdown or alteration

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