Services
Dr. Allison McGovern provides proficiency in a broad range of services in cultural resources compliance and historic preservation, including assessing archaeological and historical sensitivity, evaluating historic properties and sites, archaeological investigations, historical research, public engagement and community outreach. She exceeds the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for Archaeologist and Historian (36 CFR 61) and is a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA). She has extensive experience in historical archaeology, public archaeology, and American material culture; collections and exhibitions; oral histories, ethnohistories, and ethnographies of Native American, African American, and mixed-heritage communities. Allison has also lectured, presented, and published on various topics in archaeology.
Phased Archaeological Work
Archaeological work is often done in phases, beginning with an archaeological survey work to determine the presence or absence of artifacts or archaeological sites. Phased archaeological work is compliance work, and is often requested by your local planning board or the State Historic Preservation Office as part of the environmental review process.
Historic and Archival Research
Often times, the history of a site can provide important information about the people who lived and/or worked there, historical activities, and how the landscape was modified by past land uses. Archival research is a key method for understanding past land uses during the historic period. A Phase IA Archaeological Documentary Study can provide important information about past land ownership, historic land use, historic and recent site disturbance, and a site’s sensitivity for the presence or absence of archaeological sites.
Historic Resource Surveys
An Historic Resource Survey includes fieldwork, photography, and historic and archival research to identify historic properties, and determine their integrity and potential historic significance. Historic Resource Surveys are useful tools for village and town planning, for landmarking, for the planning and management of public and privately-owned historic sites, and for determining the boundaries of potential historic districts.
National Register Nomination Forms
The National Register of Historic Places is a list of buildings, structures, districts, sites, archaeological sites, and other cultural resources that are determined significant to our national history and worthy of preservation. A National Register nomination form relies on extensive historic research in order to make a case that a site is eligible for inclusion.
Phase I Archaeological Survey
If your development project is located within an area of archaeological sensitivity, then your local planning board or the State Historic Preservation Office may request a Phase I Archaeological Survey. This survey will determine the presence or absence of archaeological materials on your site.
Phase II Archaeological Site Evaluation
If an archaeological site is identified during a Phase I Archaeological Survey, then a Phase II Site Evaluation may be required to determine the boundaries of the site and evaluate the significance of the site for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Phase III Archaeological Data Recovery
If an archaeological site has been determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places during the Phase II Site Evaluation, and the proposed development of the site will impact the archaeological site, then a Phase III Data Recovery may be required. The Phase III Data Recovery provides documentation of the archaeological site prior to development through archaeological excavation, laboratory analysis of artifacts and other samples, and interpretation.