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| California Archaeological Site Survey | |
|---|---|
| Name | California Archaeological Site Survey |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Archaeological survey program |
| Headquarters | California |
| Region served | California |
California Archaeological Site Survey
The California Archaeological Site Survey is a statewide program devoted to documenting, evaluating, and recording archaeological sites across California. It connects practitioners from institutions such as the California State University, Sacramento, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, and agencies including the California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Native American Heritage Commission, and the National Park Service. The Survey interacts with tribal governments such as the Yurok Tribe, Miwok, Pomo people, and Chumash communities, and with federal entities like the National Register of Historic Places, United States Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
The Survey functions as a cooperative framework linking museums like the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, research centers such as the Museum of Anthropology at UC Davis, and state repositories including the California Historical Resources Information System. It aims to map site distributions in regions including the Central Valley (California), Sierra Nevada, Mojave Desert, Channel Islands (California), and the San Francisco Bay Area. Collaborations extend to academic programs at the University of California, Santa Cruz, San Diego State University, and professional bodies like the Society for California Archaeology and the Register of Professional Archaeologists.
Origins trace to early 20th-century explorations by figures associated with institutions such as the University of California Museum of Paleontology and fieldwork supported by the Works Progress Administration and private collectors linked to the Hearst family. Mid-century developments were shaped by landmark events and laws including the Bobby Jones Tunnel era infrastructure projects, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and state statutes that created the California Environmental Quality Act. The Survey expanded through partnerships with the California Department of Transportation during highway projects and with the United States Army Corps of Engineers for reservoir and base construction. Academic growth at campuses like Stanford University and UC Berkeley mushroomed survey capacities, while influential researchers associated with the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and the American Anthropological Association helped professionalize protocols.
Field methods combine pedestrian survey, shovel testing, excavation, and remote sensing techniques developed in collaboration with laboratories at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Teams employ GIS systems linked to the California Spatial Information Library and remote platforms such as Lidar surveys conducted in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey. Fieldwork adheres to standards advanced by the Society for American Archaeology, and training is often provided through programs at California State University, Chico and San Jose State University. Laboratory analyses incorporate radiocarbon dating at facilities like the University of Arizona Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory and zooarchaeological comparisons facilitated with collections at the Smithsonian Institution.
Survey activities operate within regulatory frameworks including the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and the California Environmental Quality Act. Consultations are routinely conducted with sovereign tribal entities such as the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Yurok Tribe, and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians under protocols endorsed by the California Native American Heritage Commission. Ethical obligations align with statements from the Register of Professional Archaeologists and the Society for American Archaeology, emphasizing stewardship, repatriation through the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and protection of sensitive sites from looting and development pressures exemplified by disputes over projects like the controversies around Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Gavilan Reservoir.
High-profile surveys have documented landmark sites such as coastal shell midden complexes on the Channel Islands (California), the early occupation layers at Coso petroglyph areas, and hearth features in the Santa Barbara Channel region tied to paleoenvironmental studies with teams from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Inland work has illuminated settlement patterns in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and stratified occupations at sites near Lake Tahoe. Collaborative excavations with the National Park Service and the Smithsonian Institution have produced significant faunal assemblages and lithic assemblages comparable to materials curated at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology and the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum.
Data stewardship relies on information systems maintained by the California Historical Resources Information System and local repositories like the South Central Coastal Information Center and the Eastern Information Center. Reporting protocols follow formats required by state agencies such as the California State Historic Preservation Officer and federal bodies including the National Park Service. Archival materials are accessioned with museums and universities, and digital records incorporate metadata standards inspired by the Open Geospatial Consortium and practices at the California Digital Library.
The Survey informs mitigation strategies for infrastructure projects led by the California Department of Transportation, energy projects reviewed by the California Energy Commission, and land-use decisions made by county governments in places like Los Angeles County, San Diego County, and Orange County, California. Its findings have influenced litigation, agency policies, and tribal consultation protocols, shaping outcomes overseen by the California Coastal Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission. Educational outreach often partners with institutions such as the California Academy of Sciences and the Autry Museum of the American West to promote stewardship and public engagement.