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DocuSign Envelope ID: 2D970A62 -10C1- 4949 - 9224- E9F2ADB7D568 <br />b. Pedestrian Reconnaissance <br />Systematic pedestrian reconnaissance is an acceptable method of survey in recently plowed <br />or disked fields that have a surface visibility of fifty percent or greater. Systematic pedestrian <br />survey in areas with good surface visibility should be conducted at an interval no greater than <br />10 M. <br />If the surface visibility in recently plowed or disked fields is less than fifty percent, the <br />systematic pedestrian reconnaissance survey should be supplemented with subsurface <br />investigations. Shovel tests may be excavated at an expanded interval, depending on the field <br />conditions and surface visibility. Shovel tests should also be excavated in areas possessing <br />particularly high probability for archaeological sites. <br />Sites identified by pedestrian survey in areas with surface visibility of fifty percent or greater <br />should be investigated with shovel tests at a density of no less than 4 per acre, which is <br />roughly comparable to excavating shovel tests at 30 -meter intervals on transects spaced 30 <br />meters apart. Since the purpose of the shovel tests is to assess the nature of subsurface <br />deposits at the site, they should be evenly distributed to provide a representative sample. If <br />clustering is apparent in the surface distribution of artifacts, additional shovel tests should be <br />excavated in areas of high artifact density to assess the likelihood of features or other intact <br />archaeological deposits. <br />For some sites, a complete surface artifact collection may not be necessary to provide a <br />recommendation regarding further work and NRHP eligibility. A sample of artifacts may be <br />collected from a site, particularly on sites with dense surface scatters and /or those that have <br />a large quantity of similar artifact types. An appropriate representative sampling method <br />should be used. Material that is not collected should be described in at least general terms <br />and the location included on the site map (see Section N, Documentation below). <br />c. Excavation <br />1. Shovel Testing <br />Shovel tests should be at least 30 cm in diameter and should be excavated either 10 cm <br />into sterile subsoil or hydric soil or to a depth of one meter below ground surface, <br />whichever comes first. The fill from each shovel test should be screened through 1/4-inch <br />(6.35 -mm) or finer hardware mesh. Notes should be kept on each shovel test documenting <br />the shovel test location, soil stratigraphy using USDA soil descriptions, Munsell color <br />codes, depth, and the presence or absence of artifacts. A representative sample of shovel <br />tests should be documented with photographs and profile drawings. Artifacts collected <br />from shovel tests should be bagged separately by shovel test, and separated according to <br />the natural soil or cultural strata with which they were associated. <br />The standard shovel test interval should be no greater than 30 m and transects should be <br />spaced no greater than 30 m apart. A smaller or reduced shovel test interval may be <br />appropriate in areas with particularly high probability or potential for significant, intact <br />archaeological deposits. Conversely, an expanded shovel test interval may be appropriate in <br />low probability areas or when employed in conjunction with other survey strategies, such <br />as systematic pedestrian reconnaissance. Staggered grid or transect arrangements are <br />recommended, as they reduce the size of sites that will not be intercepted by the survey. <br />North Carolina Oce of State Archaeology — Archaeological Investigation Standard and Guidelines December 2017) Page 10 <br />