Laserfiche WebLink
Cultural Resource Histonc Properties Treatment Plan for BK -1-072617 Colowyo Coal Company <br />area of the discovery, but not detected during evaluative testing. Mechanical scrapers can remove <br />topsoil within centimeter accuracy. If evaluative testing and/or the test unit(s) define a distinct <br />living surface(s), mechincal scraping will be completed to immediately above the surface, final <br />stripping will be done manually. The application of following traditional data recovery methods <br />with finer grained mechanical scraping has proven sucessful for data recovery projects on hard <br />rock mining projects in Nevada (Cannon 2012). The methods provide important data regarding <br />spatial organization and utilization can be obtained by horizontally exposing large sections of <br />identifed living surfaces. <br />3.3.3 Data Recovery Methodology <br />The following section reviews the overall data recovery methodologies that will be applied to all <br />efforts regardless of the scale or cultural resources encountered during evaluative testing. The <br />methods are based on current archaeological theory and method. Documentation of on-site work <br />will utilize Tetra Tech's cultural resource electronic and paper based recordation forms. Form <br />types include, but are not limited to, photographic logs, artifact catalogs, excavation unit, feature <br />excavation, and daily progress tracking forms. The Principal Investigator (PI) and data manager <br />will be responsible for reviewing all forms and data collected in the field on a nightly basis to <br />ensure collected data is correct as well as stored and filed properly. <br />An electronic 1 by 1 m grid with a primary datum will be established over the site using the <br />GeoExplorer 6000 series GeoXH GPS unit with centimeter accuracy. The Trimble will also be <br />used for artifact point provenance, overall site mapping, and structural feature mapping. UTM <br />coordinates will be recorded in NAD83, Zone 13 North. Once all shovel probes and currently <br />exposed cultural manifestations have been documented, 1 by 1 m excavation units correlated to <br />the overall gird will be opened to investigate any evaluative testing results and the first two site <br />specific tasks outlined in the previous section will commence. The units will be excavated as <br />outlined in Section 3.3.3.1. Photographs will be taken using a digital camera with at least a seven <br />mega pixel resolution. Site overview photographic positions will be GPS point located. Project <br />photologs will be maintained and record the date, camera, exposure number, subject, orientation, <br />and GPS derived UTM coordinates for overview photographs. <br />Collected artifacts will be placed in plastic bags with labels detailing the bag's content, catalog <br />number, provenience information, name of collector, and date of collection. Collected artifacts will <br />be transported to Tetra Tech's Salt Lake City office laboratory for cleaning and analysis. Collection <br />process for surface artifacts will also be applied to subsurface artifacts. Artifacts recovered from <br />screened matrix will be collected per general class with appropriate provenience information for <br />sorting and analysis in a laboratory setting. <br />3.3.3.1 Unit Excavations <br />Excavation units will be opened as needed to further investigate any subsurface cultural material <br />encountered during evaluative testing. The PI will use professional judgement to determine if <br />single, multiple, or even blocks of units are excavated in response to testing results or to further <br />investigate results of unit excavations. Prior to the start of any unit, vegetation denuding will be <br />done by hand around each unit. Vegetation will be removed by hand using handsaws and clippers <br />working above the current ground surface to not disturb the surface. Any discovered surface <br />artifacts or features will be electronically point provenienced, cataloged, then collected. <br />All 1 by 1 m excavations will be completed using manual excavation techniques. A qualified <br />archaeological technician will hand excavate using a flat bladed shovel and trowel as necessary. <br />Each 1 by 1 m unit will be excavated in 10 cm arbitrary levels within natural stratigraphy. <br />Tetra Tech August 8, 2017 10 <br />