Avery Alexander SOW-2008-11-10gl.doc

10 November 2008

SCOPE OF WORK

Phase 1 Archaeological Survey

Avery Alexander Elementary School

Archaeological Site 16OR27

New Orleans, Louisiana

I. OBJECTIVE

Recovery School District has requested federal funds for assistance in the demolition and rebuilding of the Avery Alexander Elementary School, 5800 Saint Roch Avenue, New Orleans, LA (Figure 1). The Area of Potential Effect (APE) for this undertaking encompasses archaeological site, 16OR27 (the site) which is thought to be the Frenchmen Street Mound, a pre-contact aboriginal mound. Recorded in 1957 by R. Saucier and S. Gagliano, this site is of unknown National Register eligibility. The purpose of this project is to complete a Phase I archaeological survey of the APE for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Historic Preservation Group in order to fulfill FEMA’s obligations under Section 106 of the National Register of Historic Places criteria for identification and evaluation of historic properties.

This survey will delineate the site within the APE, provide an assessment of the site’s integrity and potential eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The objective of this Phase I survey is to determine what impact the proposed demolition and rebuilding of Avery Alexander School will have upon historic properties. The APE for the project is approximately 7.3 acres in size (Figure 1), but due to development (including building and parking lot construction) the area requiring archaeological survey is approximately 5 acres (Figure 2).

II. SERVICES

The Contractor shall perform all work required to provide the following services and products with respect to the APE:

Background Research

The contractor shall complete a literature and records search, focusing on the history of the project area. At a minimum, background research will include an examination of the records on file at the Louisiana Division of Archaeology and the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation, property records, historic maps, and archive research. Background research will provide a context for the evaluation of any cultural deposits discovered during field investigations.

Fieldwork

The Contractor will conduct a Phase I archaeological survey of the APE on the above referenced property following the Louisiana Division of Archaeology’s guidelines for Phase I survey. Archaeological investigations will delineate the site boundaries associated with the site within the APE (Figure 1). The contractor will attempt to assign cultural affiliations to the site from recovered artifacts. An additional goal of the Phase I survey is to gain a clear understanding of the integrity of the site by determining the stratigraphy, the extent or depth of modern fill, and the possible depths of intact historic and/or aboriginal midden.

Within the APE, field investigations will consist of a pedestrian survey and systematic subsurface testing that includes both shovel tests and auger tests. Shovel tests will be conducted at a minimum of 30 m intervals along transects spaced 30 m apart. The transects should be staggered to maximize coverage and to reflect the realities of obstructed transect lines due to the location of buildings. Shovel test pits should terminate at sterile subsoil or 100 centimeters below surface (cmbs), whichever comes first. The southern portion of the APE containing the site should be conducted at 10 m intervals along transects spaced 10 m apart in order to determine if the site is still extant and/or to delineate the boundaries of the site (Figure 2).

Since the majority of this APE is covered with historic and modern fill, additional data for accurate soil stratigraphy at greater depths will be achieved through auguring (mechanical or screw). Auger tests should be staggered across the entire APE. The number of auger tests needed to adequately assess soil stratigraphy within the APE shall be determined by the project archaeologist and approved in writing by the Contracting Officer Technical Representative assigned by FEMA for this project. Auger tests should be supplemented with profiles detailing modern fill episodes and the depths of historic or prehistoric deposits, if applicable.

In the event that cultural materials and/or features are encountered during subsurface testing, the positive transect shovel test will be utilized as a datum. Site delineation shall be completed using shovel tests excavated in a grid oriented along cardinal directions at 10 m intervals from the initial positive test. These tests should continue until two consecutive sterile shovel tests are encountered in each cardinal direction within the APE to define site boundary. Deposits of differing cultural affiliation located in distinct areas of the site should be identified and discussed as an individual Locus (ie. Locus 1).

All soil excavated from these tests will be screened through ¼ inch (6.4 mm) mesh hardware cloth. Soils that are too compacted to be screened will be carefully trowel sorted. Artifacts discovered in these tests will be collected, bagged, and labeled for provenience. Representative profiles of soil stratigraphy as observed in these shovel tests should be recorded, including Munsell soil color assignments for natural or cultural strata identified. All excavated holes will be backfilled after being recorded.

If a surface scatter is present, it will be mapped and the artifacts will be collected, bagged, and labeled for provenience. In cases of extensive scatters, diagnostic artifacts and an overall representative sample of observed artifacts will be collected. The appropriate photographic information will be taken at each location and information recorded on photographic log forms.

Finally, a site map showing natural and cultural features, all locations of subsurface testing, surface scatters, disturbed areas, the site datum, and any other pertinent information will be generated. This site map will also depict roads, utility poles, buildings, and any relevant infrastructure within the APE and immediately adjacent, if relevant. Maps shall contain adequate information to tie site data to permanent landmarks or real world coordinates within 5 m of true position. At least one site map showing the location of the transects and associated shovel tests will be plotted on high resolution aerial imagery at sub-meter accuracy.

Data Analysis and Report Preparation

The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all labor, equipment, and laboratory/office space needed to carry out this project. The Contractor will synthesize all data collected during background research and fieldwork in order to assess the overall nature of cultural resources in the APE. An eligibility recommendation for the site will be made with clear evidence to support it. If eligibility is not clear, a recommendation for future work should be stated. A discussion of the stratigraphy across the site and within the mound should be integrated with profile maps to support the discussion.

Additionally, the planned undertakings at the site (demolition of the school, the removal of the foundations, and possible rebuilding of the school) should be correlated to the archaeological findings. A copy of the planned undertakings at this site will be provided to the contractor by FEMA or an entity designated by FEMA. The findings need to address whether any or all of the potential undertakings (demolition/slab removal/rebuild) will affect intact cultural resources.

All artifacts discovered during the survey will be collected according to standard Louisiana Division of Archaeology guidelines and processed at the contractor’s laboratory. Material culture will be described using standard nomenclature and analyzed with accepted methods. A basic faunal analysis may be necessary to determine if the remains are mammalian (non-human), or human.

All collected artifacts shall be curated in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation as well as those guidelines stipulated by the Louisiana Division of Archaeology. All artifacts recovered (surface or excavation) during the course of the project must be labeled and packaged for permanent curation and submitted to the Louisiana Division of Archaeology or a state approved Deputy Custodian for long-term curation.

If human remains are found, compliance with the Louisiana Unmarked Human Burial Sites Preservation Act (R.S. 8:671 et seq.) is required. The contractor shall notify the law enforcement agency of Orleans Parish within twenty-four hours of the discovery. Local authorities will determine if the human remains are 50 years of age or older. The contractor shall also notify FEMA within this time frame. FEMA will in turn notify the Louisiana Division of Archaeology and the appropriate tribal representative(s). If human remains are able to be identified as such in the field, they should be left in place whenever possible but not left exposed or unattended. If it is necessary to remove human remains for identification, analysis, or for their protection, FEMA will consult with the tribes, as applicable, and the Louisiana Division of Archaeology to determine their final disposition

Deliverables and Schedule

The contractor shall begin the background research within one working day of the award of this task order. Fieldwork should be completed within 21 days of the award of the contract. The contractor shall submit to FEMA four copies of the Management Summary and digital copy within 14 days of completion of fieldwork. The Management Summary should outline the results of the survey to FEMA and make recommendations regarding future work at the site. This Management Summary will be used as part of the cultural resources coordination with the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

A complete technical report of the investigations will be produced by the contractor in accordance with the standards and guidelines set forth by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation (Federal Register 48(190) 1983:44716-44737). The report shall, at a minimum, include a description of the study area; relevant historic documentation and background research; the field studies/investigations; all field observations; a discussion of the stratigraphy with maps; analyses and results illustrated with appropriate tables, charts, and graphs; an evaluation of the investigations in terms of the goals and objectives of the investigations; an eligibility determination if appropriate; management recommendations; any recommend changes by FEMA’s Historic Preservation staff or SHPO; a bibliography; and updated site forms.

Four copies of the draft report and a digital copy on CD will be submitted within eight weeks after the completion of all field investigations. Following a review and comment by FEMA and the Louisiana SHPO of the draft, recommended changes will be incorporated into a final report within two weeks of receipt of such agency comments. Six copies of the final report along with a digital copy will be submitted to the Historic Preservation staff at FEMA to complete the task order. All artifacts collected and processed as a result of this Phase I investigation in the condition stipulated above shall be submitted by the contractor to curation upon submission of the final report.

Figure 1: The location of Avery Alexander Elementary and the corresponding location of 160R27. Note that the limits of 16OR27 are delineated by the red circle and the APE is delineated by the yellow-dashed line around the school.

Figure 2: The approximately 7.3 acre Area of Potential Effect (APE) for the archaeological survey of Avery Alexander. The approximate boundaries of 16OR27 within the APE are in orange (digitized at approximately 1:24,000). The area to the south of the green line will be tested at 10 meter intervals.

Avery Alexander School APE

SOW Phase I Avery Alexander Elementary