How to Handle History

1. How to Handle History Richard Talbot Office of Public Archaeology Brigham Young University

2. What is Archaeology? Study of human history 50 years or older

3. What do Archaeologists Do? • Study human remains (mostly material remains) • Look for patterns in human behavior

4. What are the Federal and State Laws?

5. National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 requires Federal Agencies • To take into account the effects of their undertakings on historicProperties • Identify historic properties affected by an undertaking • Assess its effects • Find ways to avoid, minimize or mitigate adverse effects on historic properties • Encourages agencies to begin the process early

6. How does it work? Visit: http://www.achp.gov/work106.html

7. National Register of Historic Places – NRHP (list of historic properties deemed to be important to US History) • Property 50 years or older? • Integrity? • Does it meet one of the following criteria: • a. Associated with events, activities, or developments that were important in the past? • b. Associated with lives or people who were historically important? • c. Distinct architecture, landscape history, or engineering? • d. Have potential to yield important information through archaeological investigation about our past?

8. $ Step 1. Is Federal or State money, approval, permitting involved (an “undertaking”) • No – Then archaeology not needed • Yes Step 2

9. Step 2. Identify historic properties (survey for archaeological sites) • None – No historic properties, no more archaeology • Yes Step 3

10. Step 3. Determine their significance (Eligibility to the NRHP) • Not significant – “No Effect” • Significant Step 4

11. 4. Assess the Effects from the project • No impact – “No Adverse Effect”

12. Adverse Effect Step 5 • physical destruction or damage • inappropriate alteration • relocation of the property

13. Adverse Effect Step 5 • change in the character of the property’s use or setting • introduction of incompatible visual, atmospheric, or audible elements • neglect and deterioration • transfer, lease, or sale of a historic property out of federal or state control without adequate preservation restrictions

14. Step 5. Resolve Adverse Effect • Avoidance • Mitigation • Documentation • Excavation • Monitoring • Etc.

15. Step 6. State and Federal Agencies work with and through the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) during all phases of the project (steps 2-5) for consultation.

16. What does this mean for me? 1. If any state or federal funding or participation, obliged to carry out section 106 and protect cultural resources (inc private individuals). 2. Part of section 106 is to whittle down the things we need to worry about. • Archaeological sites are everywhere. Nobody is the first person to have ever been somewhere! • However, not all sites need protection. • On the other hand, many sites are more important than we realize. • Some sites may not be significant individually, but are significant as a group.

17. 3. There is a solution to every problem – work with consultant. • Archaeology is not rocket science but it does have some nuances – need to have somebody who knows those nuances and can work it out. 4. Involve archaeologist early enough and can often work projects around it. 5. Get away from idea that archaeology will shut down a project – can be more expensive but helps all in protection of lands. 6. Healthy watersheds are good for archaeology, we can lose entire sites to erosion. We are partners in preservation if we can avoid effects.

18. What the archaeologist will do? Notification of project Literature review Inventory of project area Documentation of sites, if any Report to agencies SHPO consultation, concurrence or non-concurrence If necessary, mitigative measures