What to do If...?
Archaeological Sites on Private Land
Many landowners encounter prehistoric and historic artifacts on their property during farming or construction. We are often asked about what a person should do if they find artifacts on their land. The following answer to this question was derived from the web site of the Kentucky Archaeological Registry. You can learn more about the Kentucky Archaeological Registry at htttp://www.state.ky.us/agencies/khc/registry.htm.If you know about an important archaeological site, the Kentucky Archaeological Registry would like to hear from you. Just print out (see below) and complete the archaeological site short survey form. You can then send the form to the Kentucky Archaeological Registry, and they will provide you with an archaeological site number from the Office of State Archaeology at the University of Kentucky.
The official site form required by the Office of State Archaeology is eight pages long, so the Kentucky Archaeological Survey developed a shortened version for people who may want to report sites, but do not have the time or experience to complete the long form. They hope the archaeologial site survey short form will make it easier for you to report prehistoric and historic archaeological sites. Thank you for your interest in preserving Kentucky's archaeological heritage.
Common Questions
Many landowners fear that reporting sites may in some way restrict their rights or use of their property. This is NOT TRUE! As stated on the website of the kentucky Archaeological Registry,The information you provide about the site and its location is strictly confidential. The Office of State Archaeology's site records are not open to the public and are avaialble for use only by professional archaeologists, researchers, and land managers/land-use planners. Reporting sites in no way jeporadizes site ownership nor does it mean that a recorded site must be open to the public for visitation. Recording a site contributes to our understanding of Kentucky's past and is a way to preserve the past for the future. Knowing where sites are means we can avoid destroying them inadvertently through construction or development: we cannot protect something if we do not know that it exists.
The short archaeological site form, once completed, should be mailed to A. Gwynn Henderson, Coordinator, Kentucky Archaeological Registry, Kentucky Archaeological Survey, 1020-A Export Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-9854. If you have questions about completing the short form you can contact Gwynn by email at aghend2@uky.edu or by phone at 859/257-1919.
If you have any trouble filling out this form, please email or call Anne and we'll be happy to help you out.
The following are pdf files, you will need Adobe® Acrobat Reader to view them.
New Site on Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology webpage regarding Agriculture and Archaeology
Indiana DHPA has recently added a page to their website regarding agricultural practices and archaeology. Check it out at the following link:
Guide to Responsible Collecting
The following short guide provides information on how to collect artifacts found on your property so as to retain as much scientific data and meaning as possible.