2
Unanticipated Discoveries
This Plan was prepared to assist RER in compliance to Title 36 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) Part 800.11(a), which implements Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act. The Plan describes the measures to be taken by RER in the
event that cultural resources that may qualify as historic properties, or human remains,
are discovered during undertaking-related activities.
This Plan documents the procedures that will be implemented in the event that an
unanticipated cultural resource, a "discovery," is encountered during construction. These
procedures are outlined to evaluate discoveries and to determine if the resource has the
potential to contribute important information regarding the prehistory or history of the
area. In the event that the evaluation determines that the resource cannot yield significant
information and if there are no potential human remains within the resource area, then no
further work is required. If it is determined that the resource will yield significant
information, then the resource will either be avoided or the adverse effects mitigated by
following the data recovery procedures.
Discoveries include the following:
Previously unidentified archaeological sites or features, or traditional cultural
property (TCP).
Previously determined ineligible sites that during impact yield distinct cultural
material not previously identified. The material obtained during ground
disturbance activities must indicate that the site has the potential to qualify as
eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
Cultural resources identified adjacent to, but beyond, the boundaries of a known,
eligible site as previously determined from surface observations.
Evidence of human remains in any context will be considered a discovery. All
discoveries of bone should be treated by construction personnel as potential
human remains until taxonomic identity can be determined.
Identification of construction or maintenance-related damage to historic properties
or TCPs will be considered a discovery.
Examples of prehistoric and protohistoric indicators include stone, ceramic, or bone
artifacts, non-human bone, human bone, soil discoloration or charcoal stains,
architectural remains, and features. Historic indicators include finds from the eighteenth
through the twentieth centuries and may include architectural remains, features, deposits
of historic metal, ceramic, glass, or bone artifacts or culturally modified non-human bone,
and human remains. Isolated resources or artifacts, whether prehistoric or historic, do not
qualify as discoveries. Similarly, cultural materials that post-date 1960 do not qualify as
discoveries. Archaeological sites previously evaluated as ineligible for inclusion in the
NRHP do not qualify as discoveries if excavated materials are quantitatively and
qualitatively consistent with materials previously identified at the site.
