Orange County NC Website
DocuSign Envelope ID: CEC9FC3A -90E5- 479E- BAF8- E93A5686FF97 <br />C. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE EVALUATION INVESTIGATIONS - TASK 2 <br />It is anticipated that no more than three locations with archaeological material will be <br />documented during the survey for this project. Site testing will consist of close - interval <br />subsurface shovel tests that are excavated on a cruciform pattern and /or intensive surface <br />inspection, depending on site characteristics. Site boundaries will be based on (1) positive <br />shovel test locations (two negative or sterile shovel tests in a row on the testing grid), (2) the <br />distribution of surface artifacts, and (3) a natural barrier such as slope /hillside /creek /wetlands. <br />The purpose of site testing will be to gather preliminary data on cultural affiliation, site size <br />and boundaries, integrity, and significance in terms of eligibility for the NRHP. <br />Shovel tests will measure at least 38 cm 0 5 inches) in diameter and will be excavated to sterile <br />subsoil, the watertable, or underlying bedrock or subsoil. All excavated material will be sifted <br />through' /4 -inch hardware mesh. The soil color and texture, as well as notes on the <br />stratigraphic relationship of the artifacts, if recovered, will be recorded for all shovel tests. <br />A sketch map of each site discovered will be produced, and the site and its limits will be <br />entered on the project map. The location of each shovel test will be placed on the site sketch <br />map, and notes will be maintained on the soil profiles and artifact content of each shovel test. <br />Each site will be photographed and general notes will be taken concerning site location and <br />condition. Standard recordation forms will be used in the field to record archaeological sites. <br />Archaeological sites will be defined as occurrences of at least one artifact and /or a locale that <br />exhibits evidence of intact surface or subsurface cultural features. All artifacts recovered will be <br />bagged by site and intra -site provenience. The Principal Investigator and Field Director will <br />maintain detailed notes on the survey methodology, sites identified on the survey, and relevant <br />environmental factors. <br />All sites identified during the survey will be delineated in the field by GIS -GPS technology and <br />transferred onto scale /location mapping as shapefiles. <br />Any cemeteries found will be recorded, but they will not be probed to determine boundaries or <br />the number of graves present. If unmarked human burials or skeletal remains are found, the <br />North Carolina State Archaeologist will be notified immediately, following the provisions of <br />North Carolina G.S. 70, Article 3, The Unmarked Human Burial and Skeletal Remains Protection <br />Act. <br />All excavation procedures will conform to the Secretary of interior's Standards and cuideiines <br />for Archaeology and Historic Preservation (36 CFR Part 61). These include establishing a datum <br />point; measuring in metric with English conversions; drawing a plan view of the site surface <br />features and elevations; establishing a system of designation for cultural features and <br />excavation units and levels; using standard excavation unit sizes; excavating features in natural <br />strata; describing feature soil using standardized measures; sifting soil through V4-inch mesh; <br />employing other standard feature excavation procedures; recovering soil for flotation or fine - <br />screening for the purpose of floral and /or faunal analysis; and keeping a photographic record <br />of all excavations, including photographs of all features in plan view and cross - section profile. <br />D. LABORATORY ANALYSIS <br />Once the fieldwork is completed, the archaeological materials will be returned to Legacy's <br />Durham facility for processing. The artifacts will be cleaned and catalogued, and the artifact <br />collection will be studied to determine the date(s) of occupation and the range of activities <br />