Archaeological Monitoring & Reporting
People have lived on the lands we know as Madison, Wisconsin dating back for over 12,000 years. For most of this time, the residents on this land were ancestors of modern Native American tribes. Modern farming and urban development destroyed up to 80% of the historic cultural sites created in the past. Current State laws and responsible stewardship efforts are in place to protect any remaining archaeological resources left behind. These resources include campsites, villages, and earthen mounds built for human burials and other ceremonial purposes. Reference: Birmingham, Robert A. and Rankin, Katherine H. Native American Mounds in Madison and Dane County (1996).
Contractors completing Public Works projects for the City of Madison shall follow any archaeological requirements specific to individual projects. This shall include hiring a qualified Archaeologist to monitor construction activities and provide a final report on projects where there is an archaeological component, as required by the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and as described in the SHPO project permit. Project-specific guidance on archaeological requirements will be provided with project bidding documents. Projects with any archaeological requirements will include a three (3) week bidding period.
When this work is required, the hired archaeologist shall be qualified as defined by the Secretary of the Interior’s professional qualification standards and shall be approved by the Wisconsin Historical Society. More information and a list of qualified archaeologists can be found under the headings “Archaeological Consultants” and “Archaeologists for Human Burial Sites” in the following link. The specified qualifications necessary for the hired archeologist on individual projects is specified in the SHPO project permit, available during bidding.
https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS2835
Example specification language for archaeological monitoring and reporting: