As with any consultation based business, the ultimate product generated by CRAG is in the form of a report providing recommendations for proceeding. The service is based on an understanding of both archaeological sites and the laws and statutes that apply to the sites. This service advocates on the clients behalf. In areas of conflict this service may require working with the developer, hydrologist, landscape architect, and/or environmental engineer in order to seek alternative development plans to ensure the integrity of a site.
As a services oriented company CRAG: Archaeology serves as a consultant on a variety of cultural resources issues ranging from the identification and/or excavation of archaeological sites to the recording and mapping of "lost" cemeteries. The company evaluates the significance and eligibility of sites for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places as well as management strategies for archaeological sites under threat of impact. This may require the full mitigation of a site or working with project engineers in developing strategies for the maintenance and protection of a site. In addition the company helps navigate clients through the maze of state and federal requirements associated with cultural resources.
There is a common mis-belief that the identification of an archaeological site can or will "shut-down" a construction project. Very few projects are entirely halted based on the identification of an archaeological site. Most often the integrity of identified sites has been destroyed by at least a century of agricultural activity and utilization of the landscape. When a site is deemed to warrant possible listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The site is tested through limited excavation to confirm the sites integrity. Only if the site is confirmed to meet the criteria for listing does the future of the site come into play. Possible solutions include modification of development plans for the preservation of the site, or mitigation plans for the excavation of part or all of the site.
Archaeological Services Offered
Background Research- The initial step for an archaeological survey involves conducting background research at the office of state archaeology, archives, and local libraries and collections. Any previously located archaeological sites that are in the area of study are documented and inserted into a Background Report. The background report consists of historic and prehistoric information about the region and draws on information from various sources including land grants, maps, aerial photos, etc. All of this information provides CRAG and, by extension the client, a general idea of what to expect archaeologically on the property in question. The information is compiled into a report that is in turn given to the client.
Phase I Survey - If it is necessary for the client to have an archaeological survey conducted on their property the starting point would be a phase I survey. A phase I survey will include three steps. Step one is a background research into the area's prehistory and history, including consultations with state agencies and archives. Step two includes the survey which will cover the project area with a combination of systematic, screened shovel test transects at 100 foot intervals with examinations of exposed ground surfaces. Step three includes a lab analysis of artifacts and the classification, description, and evaluation of all the sites discovered during the survey. The results of these three steps are included in a report along with evaluations of site significance and recommendations for or against tests or additional data recovery on particular sites.
Phase II Testing - If a site identified in Phase I survey appears to have potential for containing significant archaeological remains (for example, stratified cultural deposits or subsurface features such as burials, hearths, or building foundations), we will recommend Phase II-test excavations. As an initial element of this phase, geophysical survey of the site area may be conducted if the landscape allows. In environments where the ground cover does not facilitate this technique a systematic survey of shovel testing will be conducted at close interval five or ten feet apart. Close internal testing is generally undertaken on all sites as a standard procedure. Test excavations require the excavation of several one-meter squares. These squares are placed in areas where shovel tests or surface collections have indicated the greatest density of artifacts. Excavations are also guided by the results of systematic sampling with a one-inch soil auger to check for the presence of subsurface features.
The excavators dig these one-meter units by levels that follow the natural soil stratigraphy, or in the case of thicker strata or no strata, in 10-centimeter levels. The soil is screened through 1/4-inch mesh. The excavation units are documented with measured drawings and photographs of the wall profiles and features (if any). If cultural features are discovered, the excavators 'section' each feature and remove a substantial sample of the feature fill for flotation and chemical analysis. Features are also documented with measured drawings and photographs. At the conclusion of the excavations, excavators backfill the units. At the conclusion of phase II testing a report is compiled documenting findings and recommendations.
Phase III Excavation - After CRAG has conducted phase II testing on an archaeological site and the site is seen to be significant, a Phase III excavation may be advised. Phase III excavation is a full excavation of an archaeological site generally prescribed through a mitigation process with the state and landowner. The entire site area is systematically examined and documented with detailed drawings, photographs, and maps and of course, excavation. Depending on the size of a site, Phase III excavation may take a significant amount of time to complete. At the end of the fieldwork a report is compiled documenting the results, and presenting analysis of findings, and listing of artifacts.
Resistivity and Magnetometry Surveys -
Resistivity: Resistance meters transmit small electrical charges through the ground and measure the different rates of electrical conveyance through the soil and through cultural features within the soil. Under the right conditions and with appropriate sampling intervals, these features can show as more or less resistant anomalies set against a natural background. Moisture is the crucial factor. Buried stone foundations that shed water will show up as dry, highly resistant anomalies set in a moist, low resistance soil, whereas buried ditches that tend to retain more water show up as low resistance anomalies (Clark 1990). The standard grid unit surveyed is a 20x20 meter square area of fairly level and cleared ground surface. Resistivity surveys conducted by CRAG utilize a Geoscan RM 15 resistance meter.
Magnetometry: A magnetometer designed for archaeological fieldwork detects certain types of cultural features as magnetic anomalies - patterned, localized distortions in the background magnetic field. Substances that produce distinctive magnetic anomalies include ferromagnetic artifacts (iron, for example) or iron oxides such as hematite, magnetite, and maghemite. When soils, clays, or stones with some magnetic mineral content are subjected to intense heat (as in a prehistoric hearth, a burned wattle-and-daub structure, bricks, or a pottery kiln), they become strongly magnetic and stand out as anomalies. Even without intense heat to induce re-magnetizing, human activities can create magnetic anomalies. Since topsoils are normally more magnetic than subsoils, a pit dug into subsoil and later filled with topsoil can appear as a positive magnetic anomaly (Clark 1990:65).
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Key Success Factors:
Timely turn around of projects; from notice to proceed to submission of completed report.
Minimized overhead allows for the ability to successfully bid on projects that other companies find cost prohibitive based on their overhead needs.
An understanding of archaeological technique and ability to diseminate information to a variety of audiences.
The ability to provide geophysical survey of sites, a service that very few archaeologists within the United States provide.
A high level of confidence and satisfaction with the archaeologist's ability on the part of the client.
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