ARCHIVAL RESEARCH AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL/ HISTORICAL CONTEXT DEVELOPMENT

Summit conducts archival research to identify cultural resources (including burial sites) which have been previously recorded in proximity to a project area and to identify previous cultural resources surveys which have taken place in proximity to a project area. This provides Summit with information pertaining to the type of archaeological sites that may be encountered during a field survey, and indicates whether portions of a project area have been previously surveyed for cultural resources. If appropriate survey standards were implemented during previous surveys, portions of a project area may be excluded from field survey based on previous coverage. Topography maps, soil surveys, aerial photographs, Trygg maps and historic plat maps are also consulted to obtain historical information about a project area and it’s potential to contain previously unidentified cultural resources.

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires that archaeological sites and standing structures be evaluated within their appropriate local precontact, contact and historical contexts. Summit conducts research to develop contextual documents that provide the background against which archaeological sites and standing structures within a project impact area can be evaluated, ensuring regulatory compliance for our clients.

Summit Case Studies:

Client: Paiute Pipeline Inc.
Location: Northern Nevada

Client Need:
Development of a historical context for significant archaeological sites relating to mining and lumbering associated with the Comstock Lode, in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended) and other federal regulations.

Agency Review:
Concurrence and approval from several federal agencies were required for this project, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Agency and the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office.

Project Description:
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires that archaeological sites be evaluated within their local historical contexts. For this project, Summit’s Historian developed a historical context encompassing a variety of activities associated with the famous Comstock Lode era. The cultural resources within the project area included the remains of a historic water system that provided water to the mines on the Comstock, and for lumbering activities associated with the Comstock mining boom. The resulting document provided the background against which the archaeological sites within the project impact area were evaluated, ensuring regulatory compliance for our client.