Kentucky Archaeological Survey

Kentucky Archaeological Survey
Name	Kentucky Archaeological Survey
Formation	1970s
Type	Archaeological organization
Location	Kentucky, United States
Leader title	Director

Kentucky Archaeological Survey is a statewide initiative coordinating archaeological inventory, research, and preservation across Kentucky. It collaborates with federal agencies such as the National Park Service, state bodies including the Kentucky Heritage Council, and academic institutions like the University of Kentucky to document prehistoric and historic sites. The Survey engages professional archaeologists, avocational archaeologists, tribal partners such as the Cherokee Nation and Shawnee, and museums including the Kentucky Museum and the Smithsonian Institution in multidisciplinary projects.

History and Development

The Survey traces origins to statewide efforts influenced by legislation such as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and programs at the Smithsonian Institution and the National Register of Historic Places. Early collaborations involved the University of Louisville, the Western Kentucky University archaeology program, and federal agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during reservoir projects on the Ohio River and the Kentucky River. Influences included major archaeological traditions recognized at sites like Cahokia and research by institutions such as Harvard University and Columbia University. Expansion in the 1980s and 1990s saw partnerships with the National Park Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and tribal nations such as the Iroquois Confederacy and Choctaw Nation for cultural resource management.

Organizational Structure and Programs

The Survey operates through offices linked to the Kentucky Heritage Council, the Kentucky State Historical Society, and university centers at the University of Kentucky and Morehead State University. Staff and affiliates include principal investigators trained in programs at Indiana University, Ohio State University, and University of Tennessee. Programs encompass intensive survey, predictive modeling in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, artifact curation with institutions such as the British Museum and the American Museum of Natural History, and tribal consultation with the Osage Nation and Powhatan peoples. Grant funding and oversight have come from entities like the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation.

Research Methods and Survey Techniques

Techniques used by the Survey integrate traditional excavation strategies promoted by scholars at Harvard University and experimental approaches developed at the Peabody Museum with modern remote sensing technology from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Fieldwork includes shovel testing, augering, controlled excavation units following protocols from the Society for American Archaeology and lithic analysis referencing collections at the Smithsonian Institution. Geophysical surveys employ ground-penetrating radar from vendors used by the U.S. Geological Survey and magnetometry techniques refined in projects with the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago. Laboratory methods include radiocarbon dating in labs associated with the University of Arizona and dendrochronology linked to the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. GIS mapping integrates datasets from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Major Sites and Findings

Surveys have documented Mississippian period sites with connections to research themes explored at Cahokia and the Moundville Archaeological Park, Archaic camps comparable to those studied at Bighorn Medicine Wheel, and Woodland period settlements paralleling finds at Adena and Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. Notable Kentucky sites include riverine sites along the Ohio River and upland sites near the Daniel Boone National Forest, with artifact assemblages housed in the Kentucky Historical Society and university museums such as the Kentucky Museum and the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Kentucky. Discoveries have included ceramic typologies related to those cataloged at the Peabody Museum, stone tool industries analogous to collections in the American Museum of Natural History, and paleoenvironmental data informing studies by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Public Outreach and Education

The Survey conducts public archaeology programs modeled on initiatives at the Smithsonian Institution and community-based projects similar to those run by the National Museum of the American Indian. It offers internships associated with the University of Kentucky and educational workshops in partnership with the Kentucky Historical Society, school districts, and organizations like the Boy Scouts of America for stewardship education. Exhibits and publications are produced in cooperation with the Kentucky Arts Council, regional museums, and national partners such as the National Endowment for the Humanities. Outreach includes collaboration with tribal cultural centers, reenactment groups, and heritage tourism entities tied to the Bluegrass Region and sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Legal Framework and Preservation Efforts

Preservation activities operate within statutes including the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and state laws administered by the Kentucky Heritage Council and local governments. The Survey coordinates compliance with federal undertakings under agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ensuring consultation with tribal governments including the Cherokee Nation and Chickasaw Nation under provisions affecting cultural resources. Curation standards follow guidelines from the Smithsonian Institution and the American Alliance of Museums, while repatriation efforts align with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and cooperation with tribal nations and museums like the National Museum of the American Indian.

Category:Archaeology of Kentucky