Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
DocuSign Envelope ID: 2D970A62 -10C1- 4949 - 9224- E9F2ADB7D568 <br />In addition to field work, Phase II evaluation requires a literature review directed specifically <br />toward assessing the current state of knowledge concerning sites similar to the one being <br />evaluated. Without this contextual information, it is not possible to judge whether a site <br />might possess the potential to provide important information about the past. <br />e. Phase III Data Recovery /Mitigation or Treatment <br />1. Objective <br />The primary goal of Phase III data recovery is to mitigate the adverse effects of a given <br />undertaking on a NRHP - eligible archaeological site. In the case of data recovery, this is <br />achieved by conducting excavations to obtain information commensurate with the site's <br />potential to address specific, formal research questions, and thereby produce, as per NRHP <br />evaluation criterion D, information important to the understanding of history or prehistory. <br />Phase III data recovery is generally implemented when all other options, including avoidance <br />and /or preservation, are deemed unfeasible for a site or project area. After a formal finding <br />of adverse effect is made, it is necessary to estimate of the level of effort necessary to <br />adequately mitigate adverse effects and fully address all research questions posed for the <br />project. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) among the lead federal agency, State <br />Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), other agencies and /or consulting parties may be <br />required prior to the development of a detailed data recovery plan and field investigations. <br />Under Section 106, Phase III work is undertaken with the understanding that excavation <br />itself will destroy or significantly alter the integrity of a given site or portion of a site. As a <br />result, after data recovery the mitigated site or portion of a site will no longer be considered <br />eligible for listing in the NRHP. <br />2. Description <br />All methods employed during Phase III data recovery should be directed toward achieving <br />the primary goal discussed above and should focus on collecting datasets to address specific <br />research questions. Research questions should be formulated based on the results of Phase <br />II or other site assessments.. Data recovery is generally accomplished by excavating a set of <br />formal test units across the site, often as a set of horizontally- expansive blocks, followed by <br />mechanical stripping to expose features or other cultural deposits. <br />III. Field Methodologies <br />a. Remote Sensing <br />There are various types of remote sensing techniques, which can be used to help "gather <br />background environmental data, plan more detailed field investigations, discover certain <br />classes of properties, map sites, locate and confirm the presence of predicted sites, and <br />define features within properties" (see the National Park Service's notice regarding the <br />Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic <br />Preservation). Remote sensing techniques can be separated into those that utilize data <br />created by third parties, such as satellite- derived LiDAR, and those that are generated by on- <br />site field work. Some of the more common types of on -site remote sensing techniques <br />include metal detecting, ground penetrating radar (GPR), and proton magnetometry. <br />North Carolina Oce of State Archaeology — Archaeological Investigation Standard and Guidelines December 2017) Page 8 <br />