Atch_1_SOW.pdf

SCOPE OF WORK

ARCHEOLOGICAL INVENTORY OF BIG BUFFALO PRESCRIBED BURN UNIT

BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK, JACKSON AND PENNINGTON COUNTIES, SOUTH

DAKOTA

SCOPE

The National Park Service (NPS) seeks to procure archeological services to support fire fuel reduction in the Big Buffalo prescribed burn unit within Badlands National Park (BADL), in Jackson and Pennington Counties, South Dakota. This work is required as part of compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and will serve to identify historic properties and help evaluate the effects to identified properties from a defined undertaking. Prior to proposed burn activities within the Big Buffalo prescribed burn unit, archeological work will be undertaken to identify above-ground archeological resources in order to protect them from the effects of controlled burns. This project will contribute to increased knowledge of the archeological record within the prescribed burn unit, of which only a small portion has been inventoried previously.

Performance Period: The work of this task agreement shall be completed within 9 months from the date of contract award.

Confidentiality: Information developed under this contract will include locations of sensitive archeological properties; these data shall be shared with project proponents as required but will otherwise be kept in strict confidence.

Disposition of Data: All objects, samples, maps, photographs, digital data, and other documentation produced or acquired during the course of this project are the property of the United States government.

Project Identification: The work of this project shall consist of the services described below for the referenced project. In all related documents, the project shall be referred to as Archeological Inventory of Big Buffalo Prescribed Burn Unit, Badlands National Park, South Dakota.

INTRODUCTION

The National Park Service (NPS) is contracting an intensive pedestrian inventory for archeological resources within the Big Buffalo prescribed burn unit of Badlands National Park (BADL) in Jackson and Pennington Counties, South Dakota. This work will result in the identification of above-ground archeological resources within the burn unit in order to protect these sites from the effects of controlled burns. As such, this work is designed to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and NPS Director’s Order 28.

This task agreement for archeological services includes conducting field investigations as described below, post-field analysis, reporting, artifact and archives packaging, digital data packaging, and final delivery of all project materials. All work described below will adhere to NPS standards as defined in Director’s Order 28: Cultural Resource Management.

BACKGROUND

Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park, established in 1939, includes 244,000 acres in two main units: the North Unit and the South Unit. The South Unit is located entirely on Pine Ridge Reservation and has been managed by the National Park Service in cooperation with the Oglala Sioux Tribe under a memorandum of agreement since 1976. The Big Buffalo prescribed burn unit is located within the North Unit of the park. The unit boundaries encompass 4,956 acres in total; however, approximately 3,633 of these acres are in grass and are anticipated to be affected by prescribed burning activities and will be targeted for inventory during this project. Appendix A provides a map of the burn unit.

Located in the White River drainage of western South Dakota, the park is known for its highly eroded landforms and its spectacular geology and paleontology. The park contains one of the world’s richest fossil beds and is particularly informative regarding the history and geological processes that occurred along the boundary between the Eocene and Oligocene epoch. The park also protects a substantial remnant of native prairie and encloses the largest mixed-grass prairie within the national park system. It is home to bison, bighorn sheep, and black-footed ferrets among many other native species. These characteristics have made the area within the park attractive for human activities for millennia despite its challenging geography and climate.

In fact, the park’s foundation document highlights archeological and ethnographic resources as fundamental park resources and considers one of the park’s purposes to “preserve and interpret the archeological and contemporary history of use and settlement of lands within the park.”

Lands within the park hold great spiritual and historical significance.

Despite these facts, little systematic archeological work has occurred within the boundaries of BADL; less than six percent of park lands have been surveyed. Currently, there are 352 recorded archeological sites within the park with another 78 resources designated as “other archeological resources” and recorded at the local park level only. Most of these sites remain unevaluated for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. The majority of recorded sites are lithic scatters that contain debitage, tool fragments, bison bone, and sometimes pottery. Isolated Paleoindian artifacts have been found in surface contexts in the park, but most diagnostic artifacts date to later times with Plains Village tradition sites being relatively abundant throughout the park. Notably, however, the Lange-Ferguson site, a Clovis mammoth kill and butchering site, is located just south of the park on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

TASK REQUIREMENTS

Pre-fieldwork Planning and Coordination

The contractor providing archeological services will need to coordinate with designated park personnel for scheduling project tasks and coordination of fieldwork. Archeological crews will need to plan for and adhere to project safety requirements and protocols that NPS provides to them prior to fieldwork activities. Questions regarding archeological investigation tasks must be brought to the park’s archeological advisor at the Midwest Archeological Center (MWAC) prior to the commencement of work.

Inventory Activities

Archeological inventory activities must meet the following requirements:

• This pedestrian inventory must meet the methods outlined in the State of South Dakota requirements for a Level III intensive field survey (https://history.sd.gov/docs/2023%20Revised%20Guidelines.pdf). This level of survey involves a visual inspection of 100 percent of the area to be burned within the Big Buffalo prescribed burn unit using survey transects spaced no more than 15 meters apart. Ground visibility must be at least 30% in order to use pedestrian inventory techniques, so fieldwork timing is essential to meet this requirement.

• Inventory methods and transects must be documented, including photographic representation of ground visibility in each area.

• Archeological materials encountered will be recorded via notes, digital photographs with accompanying photo log, scale or profile drawings, and GPS locations. The field director must keep a daily field log of activities.

• All inventory areas and archeological site locations must be documented with GPS equipment that provides at least a one-meter level of accuracy.

• Surface inventory will be conducted as a non-collection survey. However, professional judgement may be used to collect certain items. Items that may be collected from the surface include diagnostic artifacts such as projectile points, historic ceramics with makers’ marks, or other items that may assist in assigning temporal or cultural affiliations to a site.

• All items collected during inventories must be bagged, appropriately labeled, and documented on a field specimen catalog.

Personnel Qualifications

The principal director and field director of the project must meet the qualifications set forth in the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards (https://www.nps.gov/articles/sec-standards-prof-quals.htm) for archeology.

Post-fieldwork Analysis and Collections Packaging

Following the completion of fieldwork, the contractor will conduct a post-field analysis of data and objects collected during the field tasks described previously. The contractor is responsible for temporary storage of objects until they are returned to the NPS. All artifacts and objects will be housed in facilities appropriate for temporary storage of archeological collections (e.g., stable climate, free from water or pest infiltration). Please review the materials provided in Appendix B that describe standard MWAC protocols and procedures for artifact cleaning, treatment, sorting, analysis, and packaging. All objects should be treated and packaged following the guidelines outlined in the DOI Museum Handbook and MWAC Lab Manual. All object groups (i.e., individual bags) will include a completed MWAC artifact card with all pertinent information as described in Appendix B. These cards will be provided by MWAC to the contractor in an amount based on the initial itemized inventory described in the artifact database discussion presented below.

During analysis the contractor will identify any objects that are not of archeological interest or are outside the period of significance (i.e., modern) for discard prior to cataloging. The contractor will submit an itemized list at the end of the project that identifies which items are https://history.sd.gov/docs/2023%20Revised%20Guidelines.pdf https://www.nps.gov/articles/sec-standards-prof-quals.htm recommended for discard. The contractor will separate these items so that they are clearly identified when the collection is delivered to MWAC at the conclusion of the project. The contractor is prohibited from discarding items that are collected in the field during investigations that are part of the initial itemized artifact list to be submitted within 30 days of the close of inventory activities (see the “Itemized Object and Archives Databases” section below).

Artifact and Archives Database

Project archeologists will create an electronic database inventory that will include provenience, object class, material type, and field specimen numbers (see additional direction in the “Report and Database Standards and Submission Guidelines” section). This database must account for all objects, samples, ecofacts, or other materials collected as part of the field investigations.

The project archeologists will also submit a separate database that itemizes all the project archives, paper records, paper maps (edited or created during fieldwork), digital data, GPS/mapping data, and other project records. These records can be itemized by type or group but must provide an estimate of how many of each type are present and the file types/sizes for digital data.

Report and Database Standards and Submission Guidelines

Itemized Object and Archives Databases

A comprehensive itemized list is required for submission within 30 days of the close of inventory activities (see previous discussion under “Artifact and Archives Database”). This list will document the contents of the overall project collection and provide a chain of custody for objects and archives that were collected or generated during fieldwork. The database must be submitted in a Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) compatible format. Entries in the database must include a field specimen number, object name, provenience, and item count. This database must allow for tracking specimens and discard items throughout the project and ultimate transfer to MWAC.

Technical Report

A final technical report is required for this project. The report must adhere to the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office recommended report format for cultural resource surveys (see Appendix G in https://history.sd.gov/docs/2023%20Revised%20Guidelines.pdf).

The final technical report will be provided in Microsoft Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF formats that are compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. It must be formatted to fit the standard 8.5-inch by 11-inch document page size; oversize or foldout maps or drawings are acceptable if needed. All pages must be numbered following the title page. All images, maps, drawings, and text must be clean, clear, and legible. References and in-text citations must be formatted according to the most recent American Antiquity style guide provided on the Society for American Archaeology website. Cartographic resources will be listed separately. In addition, the final report must contain a title page listing the name of the principal investigator and date of report. If the report is authored by someone other than the principal investigator, the title page must identify the author(s) and bear the inscription, "Prepared under the supervision of (name), Principal Investigator." The title page must also indicate that the report was “prepared for the National Park Service, Badlands National Park” and indicate the identifying contract number or purchase request number.

https://history.sd.gov/docs/2023%20Revised%20Guidelines.pdf

In addition, the report authors must use the “Midwest Archeological Center Report Classification Guidelines” to determine if the report contains sensitive archeological site location information that must be restricted and properly label the cover, title page, and figures with language provided in those guidelines. A copy of the guidelines will be provided by MWAC.

A digital copy of the draft report will be submitted to MWAC. For ease of reference during review, the draft report must contain numbered lines on each page of text. It must include all maps, graphics, footnotes, and appendices to be included in the final report. The draft will be reviewed by the NPS for contract sufficiency and professional quality. Review comments will then be transmitted to the contractor. During the time of NPS review, BADL staff will also provide a copy of the draft report to the South Dakota SHPO for concurrent review. During the period of draft revision, the contractor will consult with the NPS to ensure the satisfactory resolution of review comments and submission of a final draft in a timely manner. There may be an additional second round of editing and comment by the NPS if the second draft is found unacceptable as the final. In this case, the timeframes described in the “Project Schedule” section would apply to complete a second round of edits.

One copy of a final draft report addressing final review comments will be submitted to the NPS prior to printing of the final document. The final version will conform to the same standards and format as the earlier review draft except the line-numbering of text shall be removed.

Within 30 days of NPS written approval of the final draft, the contractor will furnish to MWAC 10 bound copies of the final report. The contractor will also supply an electronic version via email or flash drive in Microsoft Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF formats that are compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

INADVERTENT DISCOVERY OF HUMAN REMAINS OR NAGPRA ITEMS

This project has a low potential for encountering human remains. None of the investigations being proposed are intended or designed to excavate, uncover, disturb, or remove Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony. In the event that human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony are unintentionally exposed by some aspect of research in this study, procedures identified in “Guidance for National Park Service Compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), NPS Cultural Resource Management Guideline, Appendix R” will apply.

If Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony are inadvertently discovered, the project archeologist must stop work and immediately notify the park superintendent by telephone and confirm in writing. The project archeologist will immediately stop all research activities in the area of the inadvertent discovery and make a reasonable effort to protect the remains and objects from further disturbance. As soon as possible, but not later than three working days after receipt of the written confirmation of notification, the superintendent must certify receipt of the written notification, further secure and protect the remains and/or items, and notify lineal descendants and the appropriate Indian tribes about the inadvertent discovery. If appropriate, the cultural items may be stabilized or covered to ensure their protection and to protect them from public viewing. The superintendent will initiate consultation about the cultural affiliation and disposition of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony. Research in the area of the inadvertent discovery will not continue until a written agreement is executed between the NPS and the affiliated Indian tribe(s) that allows the Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony to remain safely in situ or that adopts a recovery plan for the excavation or removal of the remains and objects. The disposition of all Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony will be carried out according to the priority listing in the regulations [43 CFR 10.6].

PROJECT SCHEDULE

Archeological field investigations will commence in the fall of 2023. The schedule below allows time for post-field analysis, reporting, artifact and archives packaging, and final delivery of products by the project end date of June 15, 2024. The project schedule is outlined as follows:

• Field investigations will commence in the fall of 2023 and will be completed by December 31, 2023.

• An itemized object and archives list (described in the Post-Fieldwork Analysis and Collections Packaging section) within 30 days of the close of inventory activities.

• A draft report will be submitted on or before March 15, 2024.

• Comments on the draft report will be returned to the contractor from NPS on or before

April 15, 2024.

• A final draft, addressing any NPS comments, will be submitted on or before May 15, 2024 for final approval.

• Delivery of the final report and all other project materials (artifacts, photos, archives, and data) will occur on or before June 15, 2024.

DELIVERABLES

Deliverables for the project will include the following:

• Final itemized object and archives inventory database(s)

• List of recommended discard objects, if applicable

• 10 printed and bound copies of the final report and one unbound copy of each on acid-free archival paper

• Complete electronic version of the final report in Microsoft Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF format that are compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

• Any reports describing specialized analyses or artifact treatments (e.g., radiocarbon dating reports, faunal analysis, botanical analysis, or artifact treatment reports)

• All project objects, paper or digital archives, digital mapping and GPS data, GIS data, digital photographs, project correspondence, records of object treatments or specialized analyses (Note: GIS data format must meet the data transfer standard requirements included in Appendix C)

• Objects separated for discard (non-archeological materials) from the retained collection

All digital data and GIS information will be delivered on a flash or external drive. After written acceptance of the final technical report, all reports, objects, samples, notes, records, edited photocopies, maps, drawings, photographs, negatives, slides, tapes, transcripts, digital data, and any other data or materials produced or acquired during the course of this study will be submitted to the Midwest Archeological Center for permanent storage.

All reports and other deliverables will be submitted to the contracting officer (CO) and the contracting officer representative (COR) via MWAC. The transfer of any deliverables to MWAC must be in conjunction with an email notification to the CO and contracting officer’s representative (COR). The following contact information may be used for all deliverables.

Please coordinate with MWAC prior to sending deliverables.

Rebecca Wiewel Advising Archeologist National Park Service Midwest Archeological Center 100 Centennial Mall North, Suite 474 Lincoln, NE 68508 rebecca_wiewel@nps.gov

Appendix A: Map of Big Buffalo Prescribed Burn Unit

Appendix B. MWAC Guidelines for Artifact Cleaning, Sorting, Treatment, and Packaging

Artifact Cleaning and Treatment Following fieldwork all artifacts must be washed and cleaned of loose dirt, sediment, or other adherents. This can typically be accomplished by conducting a light cleaning with water and non-synthetic brushes. All washed artifacts must be allowed to dry completely prior to bagging in sealed plastic bags.

Crews should also take care to identify fragile objects or items that might require special stabilization and treatment in order to preserve the object if its condition is poor or corrosion is contributing to further deterioration of the object. The following are examples of how to identify specialized treatment needs for various material types:

• Leather Artifacts: Pack dry leather in rigid acid-free containers with plenty of acid-free tissue or polyethylene foam for padding. Use a hobby knife or hole punch to cut out holes in the box for ventilation. If you place the box within a bag (so as to keep the MWAC Artifact Card stored with the object, use a hole punch to perforate the bag. You may also choose to put a box label sleeve on the top of the box to use as a pocket for the card. Make sure you do not block ventilation holes if you use this method.

• Metal Artifacts: Lead artifacts should not be stored in or with organic materials (i.e., paper, cardboard, wood, cotton, etc.) unless the organic materials are acid-free. Acid and vapors from organic materials may cause the lead to corrode. To protect the artifact catalog card from rusty ferrous metal, place it in a separate polyethylene bag within the main bag. If the collection contains a particularly important or diagnostic metal artifact, see the curator about creating a micro-environment for the object.

• Paper and Textiles: Place paper or textile artifacts between sheets of acid-free paper and insert them into acid-free envelopes, folders, or museum board. Label the outside of each envelope or folder with the project name and provenience information using a #2 pencil. Sandwich the envelope between rigid acid-free supports. The artifact should be packed in a manner that will avoid any undue stress on vulnerable areas.

• Celluloid: Celluloid requires ventilated storage. Create a custom spun polyester (Reemay) bag to house the object and place in a polyethylene bag that has been perforated with a hole punch. Celluloid will be stored separately from the rest of the accession. Make sure the lab manager is aware that the collection contains celluloid.

• Wood: Fragile wood objects are best packaged in an acid-free box with acid-free tissue or polyethylene foam for padding. You can either place the box within a bag (so as to keep the MWAC Artifact Card stored with the object) or choose to put a box label sleeve on the top of the box to use as a pocket for the card.

• Samples: Place bags of samples in a polypropylene artifact storage box. These items may or may not get cards, depending on when they are likely to be tested. Do not catalog samples which may be destroyed during processing.

Artifact Identification

After artifacts are cleaned, they must be identified, documented with MWAC Artifact Cards, and packaged for final curation. Typically, all three occur concurrently. This process prepares a collection for cataloging and final analysis by the project archeologist.

Artifact identifications should always be made in conjunction with the project archeologist, keeping the project’s analytical goals in mind. Artifact identification requires collaboration between the archeologist, archeological technician, and lab manager. All parties must make sure they are working from the same identification nomenclature BEFORE any identification occurs. This prevents the technician from having to re-write artifact cards.

MWAC Artifact Cards are used to document the association between a physical object, its identification, and its provenience. Fields on artifact cards correspond with the information entered into the artifact cataloging software. The information provided on an artifact card will be used decades into the future and must be filled out accurately. They are physically packaged with the object(s).

Artifact packaging, both for individual objects and collections of objects, is an important part of collection management. It is one of the primary ways that artifacts are protected from damage over time. The NPSMWAC YouTube channel also provides a short video on packaging (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il0YJZQZM78).

Steps for Identifying, Carding, and Packaging Artifacts Remember to handle artifacts properly during identification, carding, and packaging. When thinking about dangers to museum objects, many underestimate the human factors involved.

Careless handling by employees can result in breaking, bending, scratching, denting, soiling, or corroding objects. Oils from human hands cause continued deterioration of the artifacts.

Wash your hands and remove all jewelry that may damage artifacts before handling artifacts.

Gloves are the best way to protect artifacts and are especially important when handling metal objects. Archeological artifacts should always be fully supported when moving. Never lift by handles or appendages, but rather by the main body of the artifact. This will prevent breakage or weakening of fragile parts of the artifact.

In general, handle objects as little as possible. The less they are handled, the less likely they will be to sustain damage. When handling an artifact, always assume that the object is weak rather than strong.

Step 1 – Ensure artifacts are ready for identification, carding, and packaging.

Make sure artifacts are clean and dry. Some material types (glass and ceramic) can take up to one week to fully dry. This is especially true in the summer when relative humidity is high. Use the date listed on each tray in the drying rack to determine if a collection has been drying long enough. The majority of artifacts packaged at MWAC are stored in press-to-close polyethylene bags. These bags will hold in ANY excess moisture remaining within an artifact and cause it to deteriorate rapidly, even when stored in a controlled environment.

Step 2 – Determine artifact identification nomenclature.

Notify the project archeologist that the collection is ready for identification, carding, and packaging. If necessary, the archeologist, archeological technician, and lab manager may want to meet to discuss possible nomenclatures. This is especially true for large and/or multi-year https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il0YJZQZM78 collections. Consistent artifact naming schemes are important when analysis from multi-year projects will come together in a single final report.

If the archeologist does not have a specific nomenclature in mind, the lab manager can provide a list of object names usually used for common artifact types to aid in consistency. Regardless, make sure all parties are on the same page prior to identifying artifacts.

Step 3 – Finalize provenience information.

Review all available sources of provenience information. Compare proveniences on bag labels with field forms. Avoid working directly from original field documentation. Project records should be scanned as soon as possible upon returning from the field.

For large or especially complicated collections, it might make sense to create a spreadsheet of all the proveniences you expect to encounter. This can be used as an easy reference guide if you encounter conflicting information between the field bag cut outs and field forms. A spreadsheet may also be useful for sorting through variations in how proveniences were identified on field forms. The list can also be provided to both the project archeologist and lab manager to make sure you correctly record information on cards before you start.

Step 4 – Confirm the presence/absence of discards.

Proper management and curation of an archeological collection “in perpetuity” is a costly commitment. Generally, the larger the size of the collection, the larger the investment by the repository to process, store, inventory, conserve, and provide access to the collection. It is therefore the responsibility of the project archeologist to provide for full documentation of a project while simultaneously ensuring that irrelevant or unnecessary materials are not included in the collection when it is transferred for curation.

To maintain this balance, project archeologists may choose to ‘discard’ objects after washing, but prior to further processing. There are three categories of discard:

Non-cultural objects – example: unmodified rocks, twigs Non-contributing modern – example: modern trash that has no bearing on the use history of the site.

Comparable sample retained – example: bulk material for which only a representative sample is needed for curation such as coal or brick. Often the project archeologist will request the material in its entirety be weighed/counted prior to discard.

Before moving on to Step 5, consult with the project archeologist about potential discards. You may need to let them know if there are objects that, once clean, do not appear to be artifacts.

This will give the project archeologist an opportunity to confirm if an object qualifies for discard.

Once potential discards are identified, use an Artifacts Discarded Post-Field form to record basic information about items slated for discard. FILL OUT THIS FORM FULLY AND COMPLETELY. DO NOT SKIP ANY FIELDS. At this time, collect any additional artifact data identified by the project archeologist. The contractor will separate potential discards from the rest of the collection so that they are clearly identified when the collection is delivered to MWAC at the conclusion of the project. The contractor is prohibited from discarding items that are collected in the field during investigations that are part of the initial itemized artifact list to be submitted within 30 days of the close of inventory activities.

Step 5 – Identify, card, and package.

Fully dried artifacts awaiting identification, carding, and packaging should be grouped by provenience (as indicated by the field bag cut out associated with the material). For each provenience, sort artifacts by type using the identification nomenclature agreed upon in Step 2.

Fill out an MWAC Artifact Card for each identified type within a specific provenience, making sure to check provenience information against project records. Refer to the attached Guide for Filling out MWAC Artifact Cards for field-by-field instructions on filling out MWAC Artifact Cards.

Note: There may be instances where we do not have all the information needed to completely fill out cards. We may be waiting on a park accession number or a state site number. However, it may be weeks (or months) before that information is expected. Leave those fields blank for now. It is better to complete the identification and packaging process with the information we have than to let artifacts sit unprocessed in the Wet Lab.

Once a card is filled out, place the now identified artifact(s) and the associated MWAC Artifact Card in appropriate museum packaging. All of the artifacts in a container must have the same recorded field provenience. Artifacts of the same provenience, but with different identifications may not be mixed in the bag. Press-to-seal polyethylene bags, vials, and other archival containers of various sizes should be used to house artifacts. Archival foam and tissue should be used for padding when necessary. When choosing artifact packaging, consider the following:

Is the object diagnostic or especially important in some way? If so, is custom packaging appropriate?

Is the object particularly fragile and needs padding?

How will the artifact be best protected inside the packaging? Will objects within the packaging knock about one another and create micro-fractures?

Is the artifact card protected from the object? Will the natural degradation of the object impact the information written on the card?

Can information on the artifact card be easily read without removing it from the packaging?

Does the packaging fit the object? Is the container sized so as to not be too large or too small?

Particularly fragile objects (precontact ceramics in poor condition) or artifacts of certain material types (bone and metal) require careful packaging. See the Materials Requiring Special Attention section below for more information.

However, most artifacts are stable and in good condition. These can be packaged in a press-to-close artifact bag. Remember, place the card with the object so that all the information on the front of the card can be seen without opening the bag/box. The artifact(s) should be placed behind the card. Choose one of the artifact packages in which to place the original artifact bag cut out. The bag cut out should be placed between the MWAC Artifact Card and the artifact(s).

Note: Artifact packaging is a key component of Preventative Conservation, a concept that seeks to identify and reduce potential hazards to artifacts through thoughtful control of their surroundings. It takes practice to master. If you have any doubt on how to proceed, please contact the MWAC curator for assistance.

Repeat Step 5 until all artifacts are identified, carded, and packaged. If the project contains samples slated for further processing/testing, consult with the lab manager and project archeologist about how to proceed.

Step 6 – Box packaged artifacts.

Organize packaged artifacts in boxes in order by provenience, field/lab specimen number, or material type starting at the front left corner of the box and ‘snaking’ towards the back right corner. The organizational scheme is determined by the project archeologist. For large collections, it may be more convenient to organize packaged artifacts in trays or bins before placing them in boxes.

Archeological collections are primarily stored in either standard-sized polypropylene boxes or smaller acid-free grey cardboard boxes depending on the size of the collection. The packaged artifacts should be placed in boxes so as to avoid any undue stress on the objects. Place a sheet of ¼-inch polyethylene foam on the bottom of boxes to provide cushioning. Use dividers to separate objects and groups of objects within the box. These can be cut to customize box organization and stabilize objects. Each box in a collection should weigh no more than 25 pounds.

Use common sense when packing artifact boxes. Ask the following questions:

Are packaged artifacts prevented from shifting around in the box (padded) without putting undue pressure on objects (overstuffed)?

Are particularly fragile objects padded from surrounding artifacts?

Are heavy objects prevented from shifting onto light objects?

Does the arrangement inside the box protect all the artifacts inside while making it easy to find individual bags/boxes within the storage box?

Step 7 – Label the artifact boxes.

MWAC uses a box label template to identify all boxes within a collection. The template standardizes documentation of important collection information such as accession numbers, catalog numbers, site numbers, project leader/year, and box count. Material types within the box and special handling information (such as heavy or fragile) are also helpful information to have on box labels. These labels are designed to fit into the self-adhesive plastic envelopes that attach to the exterior of the archeological artifact storage box. When placing the self-adhering plastic envelope on the front of the box, make sure the pocket is low enough so that the label can be read when the lid is on.

Guide for Filling Out MWAC Artifact Cards Complete an MWAC Artifact Card for each bag of artifacts and each archeological sample (as directed) using a black ink ballpoint pen. Much of the information to be recorded on the card may be copied directly from the original field bag label. However, always cross reference field bag labels with field documentation to ensure information accuracy.

The remainder of the information will typically be generated during the laboratory processing and analysis of the collection. Leave an entry blank if you have no information to record there unless otherwise directed in the field specific instructions below.

The current version of the card was specifically designed to facilitate cataloging of the collection, and the blanks on the card correspond to field entries in the cataloging program. As a consequence, some of the blank-by-blank instructions below are similar to those included in the MWAC Cataloging SOP.

The nomenclature used to identify an object (see the Object Name entry below) reflect the specific research questions to be addressed during the project. Analytical/object names should be provided by or developed in coordination with the project archeologist. Those names should correspond as closely as possible to the names to be used in the final project report.

Figure 1. Example of MWAC Artifact Card.

The following comments apply to the completion of each blank on the MWAC Artifact Card:

Park: Enter the four-letter acronym for the park where the artifact/sample was collected. For example, the park acronym for a collection from Badlands National Park is BADL.

MWAC Acc.: This refers to the MWAC accession number for the collection. This number is provided to the project archeologist and crew prior to fieldwork. It should be written on field bags and forms. Enter only the accession number digits (exclude MWAC-) in this field. Do not pad with zeros.

Park Acc.: This refers to the park accession number for the collection. Park accession numbers are obtained by the registrar from park staff. You may or may not have this information during initial identification, carding, and packaging. If you do, enter only the accession number digits (exclude park acronym) in this field. Do not pad with zeros.

ICMS No.: Official catalog numbers are assigned at the time that the collection is cataloged (do not enter other project catalog numbers or field specimen numbers here). Very rarely will you have this information during initial identification, carding, and packaging. When the collection is cataloged, enter only the number digits (exclude park acronym) in this field. Do not pad with zeros.

Field Site #: Enter any temporary field number assigned during the project to the archeological site where the artifact/sample was collected. See the project archeologist if unsure whether a site has a field site number. Write “N/A” if the site does not have a field site number.

State Site #: Enter the official state site number for the archeological site where the artifact/sample was collected. State site numbers may take months to obtain and you may or may not have this information during initial identification, carding, and packaging. See the project archeologist if unsure whether a site has a state site number. State site numbers usually occur in the following format - ##XX###. For example, a site from Ozark National Scenic Riverways may look like this: 23SH3. Write “N/A” if the site does not have a state site number.

Site Name: If known, enter the distinctive name assigned to the site where the archeological material was collected. Leave blank if the site does not have such a name. See the project archeologist if unsure whether a site has a site name. Write “N/A” if the site does not have a name.

Provenience: Enter the specific provenience within the site where the artifact/sample was collected. Provenience information should always be written in order from general to specific.

Keep it as consistent as possible with the field paperwork. If variations exist in the paperwork, clarify with the project archeologist.

For example, provenience for the third shovel test along transect B might be listed as follows:

Shovel Test 3B, or Transect B, 0-55cm below surface Shovel Test 3, 0-55cm below surface

Provenience for the certain artifacts found in the 4th level of a test unit excavated within a specific grid may be listed as follows:

Test Unit 5, 110N, 30E, or Area A, Level 4, 30-40cm below datum, Test Unit 5, 110N, 30E, Field Specimen # 35 Level 4, 30-40cm below datum

Say there was a feature identified in level 4 of that same unit:

Test Unit 5, 110N, 30E, or Area A, Level 4, Test Unit 5, 110N, 30E, Feature 2, 33-35cm below datum, Level 4, Field Specimen # 48 Feature 2, 33-35cm below datum

Isolated finds might have UTMs, for example:

UTM Zone 14, 695197.80E, 4521993.65N, Surface Find, Field Specimen #2

Only enter Field Specimen numbers that equate with a specific provenience location at the site in this field. (For Field Specimen numbers that have no provenience meaning, enter those numbers under Description). If the project archeologist has established a provenience code system for the project, the provenience code is entered on the card in this field. A list of all of the codes and their decoded provenience meanings must be prepared and provided to the Registrar for use in cataloging and for addition to the archives.

Occasionally, multiple fragments of a single functional object are mended or refitted in the lab.

When those fragments were recovered from different field proveniences, particular care must be taken to prevent the accidental loss of provenience information. The entry on the MWAC Artifact Card should state “Multiple proveniences – Refitted/Reconstructed Artifact Sheet” and a Refitted/Reconstructed Artifact Sheet must then be completed. The Lab Manager can provide further instruction on filling out the form.

In all cases of refitted fragments, the one-to-one association between each fragment and its recorded field provenience must be preserved, such as through the labeling of the individual fragments in a visible location, a written description, a labeled drawing, or individual bagging within a larger bag (when the fragments are not actually glued together). If the fragments are glued, record the type of adhesive used under “Description” on the MWAC Artifact Card.

All of the completed original Refitted/Reconstructed Artifact Sheets for a collection should be filed together in an acid-free folder and provided to the Registrar at the end of the project. An acid-free copy of each form should be placed in the artifact storage box that contains the refitted artifact in question so that the sheet is immediately available for reference along with the artifact itself.

Object Name: Enter the object name applied to the artifact(s) during identification. This name should correspond as closely as possible to the name to be used in the final project report and is usually specified by the project archeologist before analysis. Object names may be general (such as Nail) or specific (such as Cut Nail), depending upon the analytical system applied to the collection during the project. If you are uncertain about particular artifact identifications, consult the project archeologist.

For bulk analytical samples, the type of sample should be indicated here (e.g., Soil Sample, Charcoal Sample, Waterscreen Sample-Lithics, Float Sample-Seeds).

Material/s: Enter the material type of the artifact(s). Again, the entry here may be general (such as Stone) or specific (such as Quartzite, Obsidian). Generally speaking, you should enter the most specific information that you know to be correct that applies to all of the artifacts in the bag. Ideally, this information will match that used in the final project report. If the artifact is composed of two or more materials (such as a wooden handled metal fork), record all of the materials that are present.

Item Count/Weight: Record the number of artifacts in the bag. For mended or refitted artifacts, record both the number of fragments and the number of functional objects that are represented (e.g., 2 frag. from 1 plate). You do not need to enter both the count and weight for objects unless specifically requested by the project archeologist.

For bulk materials such as soil samples, a weight should be recorded rather than a count. Enter the weight for bulk materials to the nearest one-tenth of a gram or kilogram (minus the weight of the bag or other packaging). For samples that cannot be opened in order to be weighed, such as unprocessed radiocarbon dating material enclosed in a foil pouch, enter a count of 1 (for one sample).

Collector/s: Whenever possible, enter the full name(s) of the collector(s) of the artifact/sample as recorded on the field bag. If there is not enough room for all the collector names, initials may be entered on the card. If initials are entered on the card, a separate list of the full names of every individual on the field project must be prepared and provided to the Registrar for use in cataloging.

Collection Date: Enter the date(s) on which the artifact/sample was collected.

Description: Describe the object so that someone unfamiliar with the object would have an idea of what it is. Record additional archeologically important information about the artifact/sample not recorded elsewhere. When Field Specimen numbers have no provenience meaning, enter those numbers here.

Record any analytical procedure(s) that may have resulted in physical damage to, or alteration of, the artifact/sample. Remember to keep a separate comprehensive list of all artifacts that have been affected by such analytical procedures. Include a description of the procedure(s) used. Provide the list to the Registrar for use during cataloging and for addition to the archives.

A “complete” soil or other bulk sample consists of the total amount of the sample collected in the field. When a bulk sample is now incomplete because a portion of it has been removed and consumed during lab processing, this should be noted on the card along with an estimate of the percentage of the sample that remains (e.g., Incomplete sample - 75% of original). This information is needed for cataloging.

ID By: Enter the full name of the person who identified the object, such as the MWAC staff or an outside analyst. Be specific to the individual, if known. Enter your name if you identified the object. If you do not know who identified the object, leave this field blank.

ID Date: Enter the date the object was identified.

Illustrated: If an artifact has been illustrated in a report, list the author(s) last name(s), the year of publication, the page number where the illustration appears, and the figure number of the illustration. Example: Cockrell, O’Bright, and Dial 1991:65 Fig. 4b. However, this information will not be immediately available for most of the recent collections being processed in the lab.

Because of the time delay that typically occurs between lab processing of the artifacts and production of the final report, information about artifact illustration may need to be added to the cards at a later date. If you know that an artifact will be illustrated in the final report, you can place a check mark in the box on the card and add the reference information later.

Appendix C – GIS Data Transfer Standards

For a copy of the geodatabase template for these standards, contact Anne Vawser (anne_vawser@nps.gov) or Amanda Renner (amanda_renner@nps.gov) at the Midwest Archeological Center.

MWAC CR Data Transfer Standards Attribute Guidance for Sites

Site_Pt, Site_Py, Site_Ln

All data should be projected into the UTM NAD 83 coordinate system

*Red indicates instructions for data collected using a GPS unit

Field Attribute Guidance

Boundary Type The BND_TYPE field is intended to allow users to indicate what the spatial data represents relative to the cultural resource. For instance, users may describe whether a point location for a building represents the entrance, the center of the building or a corner of the building. Similarly, with polygon features, users may describe whether the area represents a circumscribed boundary, a buffered boundary, etc. (NPS Cultural Resource Spatial Data Transfer Standards:

Guidelines for Use and Implementation, 2011)

Point Domain:

Site datum point The point data represents the site datum Center point The point data represents the center of the archaeological site Vicinity point The point data represents a user selected point in the vicinity of the site Derived point The point data represents a computer generated point based on site boundaries or other data Arbitrary point The point data represents a user selected or computer generated point arbitrary located on or near the archaeological site

Other point The point data represents some other point on or near the site

Polygon Domain:

Derived polygon The polygon data represents a computer generated polygon based on another spatial representation of the cultural resource

Circumscribed polygon The polygon data represents a general boundary including the cultural resource

Perimeter polygon The polygon data represents a detailed perimeter of the cultural resource mailto:anne_vawser@nps.gov mailto:amanda_renner@nps.gov

Buffer polygon The polygon data represents a computer generated boundary describing a specified distance or buffer away from another spatial representation of the cultural resource

Other polygon The polygon data represents some other polygon describing the cultural resource

Line Domain:

Center line The line data represents the center line of any linear cultural resource

Edge line The line data represents the bounding edge of any linear cultural resource

Perimeter line The line data represents a line beyond the exact edge of the linear cultural resource, at a specific distance

Random line The line data represents a user selected or computer generated line on or near the linear…