South Carolina Standards and Guidelines for Archaeological Investigations

This edition of Standards and Guidelines has been designed as an advisory framework for archaeological fieldwork and reporting in the state of South Carolina.  It offers guidance to project archaeologists, administrators, and other interested parties who prepare reports and case studies like those initiated or conditioned by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 as amended.

In publishing this edition of Standards and Guidelines, South Carolina, like the majority of southeastern states, is revising its minimum specifications for the collection and presentation of technical archaeological information. NOTE: Survey or data recovery methods that do not meet the minimum standards described below may result in additional project costs and delays.

While this edition of Standards and Guidelines focuses on archaeological concerns, readers should note that Section 106 of the NHPA also requires the consideration of buildings, districts, sites, structures, and objects.  While this manual therefore provides an overview of the legislation and processes by which all "historic properties" are considered, the specifics of investigation and documenting buildings, districts, sites, structures, and objects can be found in the Survey Manual for the South Carolina Statewide Survey of Historic Places. 

The full Standards and Guidelines is an Adobe Acrobat PDF file.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader you must download it before viewing the file. There is no charge for the program. If you have questions or comments about the Acrobat file, please contact the webmaster.

If you have questions about the Guidelines, contacts are listed under Section VI. 

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