Cultural Resources Management

“There is a need in every generation to study the past, to absorb its spirit, to preserve its messages...it’s a collaboration of ourselves and our ancestors, the result is a deeper understanding for individuals and in consequence, a broader culture for the nation,"    -Christopher Tunnard

A significant proportion of the archaeological investigation in the United States is conducted on sites under threat of development.  Cultural Resource Management (CRM) legislation including the National Historic Preservation Act provides the framework for the preservation of historical and archaeological sites in the U.S.  The act, signed into law on October 15, 1966, requires Federal agencies to evaluate the impact of all Federally funded or permitted projects on historic properties (buildings, archaeological sites, etc.) through a process known as Section 106 Review.

One common task in CRM is to determine whether specific properties are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.  Our professional consulting staff have years of experience in anthropology, archaeology, archaeological geophysics, and Native American consultation.  All meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation in their respective disciplines and have direct employment history with federal and state agencies, private engineering and environmental firms, and local preservation organizations. 

The NHPA is the most far-reaching preservation legislation ever enacted in the United States.  The act created the National Register of Historic Places, the list of National Historic Landmarks, and the State Historic Preservation Offices.  You can rely on Geoscience Consulting, LLC to work closely with all project stakeholders including the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to meet regulatory requirements while enhancing public awareness for conservation.

Our team provides the following CRM services:

• Archaeology
• Cemetery Studies
• Native American Tribes
• Regulatory Compliance
• Lifeways

Archaeology

Geoscience Consulting conducts all levels of archaeological investigations.  From reconnaissance surveys to cell tower site permitting to complex Phase III data recovery projects, Geoscience Consultants, LLC provides superior results on time and on budget.  

• Phase I Cultural Resource Assessments
• Phase II Cultural Resource Investigations
• Phase III Data Recovery and Site Mitigation
• National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 Compliance
• Artifact Analysis
• Shipwrecks
• National Register Eligibility Determinations
• Cultural Resources Advocacy

Cemetery Studies

• Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
• Cemetery Boundary Determinations
• Cemetery Mapping
• Historical Research
• Native American graves and cultural items
• Religious practices

Native American Tribes

• Non-destructive investigation of burial grounds
• Traditional Cultural Properties
• Cultural Use of Natural Resources
• Native American Graves Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) compliance

Regulatory Compliance

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
• Section 110 of the NHPA
• Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act
• The Antiquities Act of 1906
• The Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA)
• Native American Graves Repatriation Act (NAGPRA

Lifeways

• Folklife, tradition, and other social institutions
• Older properties that may have cultural value, but may or may not be eligible for the National Register
• Public advocacy for controversial projects
• Theater groups, orchestras, and other community cultural amenities

“Culture, or civilization, taken in its broad, ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”    -Sir Edward Tylor, 1897