2018-075-E DEAPR - Legacy Research Associates cultural and arch study for potential ES substation

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DocuSign Envelope ID: 2D970A62 -10C1- 4949 - 9224- E9F2ADB7D568 Shovel and /or auger testing will be excavated in areas of low ground- surface visibility at intervals determined by project mapping and field reconnaissance based on landform and presumed potential for the presence of archaeological sites. High - probability areas will be determined by project mapping and field reconnaissance. Factors that will be considered for determining high probability will be soil condition, landform, and distance to water. low_\ TO:L\XitXiZ6I1 l_1WyiNMM1>!I "III P► 1lZ LTA 4.11[fLN1111L ill R =IFTAKINK It is anticipated that no more than one location with archaeological material will be documented during the survey for this project. Site testing will consist of close - interval subsurface shovel tests that are excavated on a cruciform pattern and /or intensive surface inspection, depending on site characteristics. Site boundaries will be based on (1) positive shovel test locations (two negative or sterile shovel tests in a row on the testing grid), (2) the distribution of surface artifacts, and (3) a natural barrier such as slope /hillside /creek /wetlands. The purpose of site testing will be to gather preliminary data on cultural affiliation, site size and boundaries, integrity, and significance in terms of eligibility for the NRHP. Shovel tests will measure at least 38 cm (1 5 inches) in diameter and will be excavated to sterile subsoil, the watertable, or underlying bedrock or subsoil. All excavated material will be sifted through 1/4-inch hardware mesh. The soil color and texture, as well as notes on the stratigraphic relationship of the artifacts, if recovered, will be recorded for all shovel tests. A sketch map of each site discovered will be produced, and the site and its limits will be entered on the project map. The location of each shovel test will be placed on the site sketch map, and notes will be maintained on the soil profiles and artifact content of each shovel test. Each site will be photographed and general notes will be taken concerning site location and condition. Standard recordation forms will be used in the field to record archaeological sites. Archaeological sites will be defined as occurrences of at least one artifact and /or a locale that exhibits evidence of intact surface or subsurface cultural features. All artifacts recovered will be bagged by site and intra -site provenience. The Principal Investigator and Field Director will maintain detailed notes on the survey methodology, sites identified on the survey, and relevant environmental factors. All sites identified during the survey will be delineated in the field by GIS -GPS technology and transferred onto scale /location mapping (engineering design plans) as shapefiles. Any cemeteries found will be recorded, but they will not be probed to determine boundaries or the number of graves present. If unmarked human burials or skeletal remains are found, the North Carolina State Archaeologist will be notified immediately, following the provisions of North Carolina G.S. 70, Article 3, The Unmarked Human Burial and Skeletal Remains Protection Act. All excavation procedures will conform to the Secretary of Interior's Standards and Guide lines forArchaeologyand Historic Preservation (36 CFR Part 61). These address establishing a datum point; measuring in metric with English conversions; drawing a plan view of the site surface features and elevations; establishing a system of designation for cultural features and excavation units and levels; using standard excavation unit sizes; excavating features in natural strata; describing feature soil using standardized measures; shifting soil through %4 -inch mesh; employing other standard feature excavation procedures; recovering soil for flotation or fine - screening for the purpose of floral and /or faunal analysis; and keeping a photographic record of all excavations, including photographs of all features in plan view and cross - section profile.