N.M. Code R. § 4.10.15.15

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 11, June 11, 2024

Section 4.10.15.15 - LIMITED TESTS DURING SURVEY

A. Purpose. Limited tests of archaeological sites during survey are strongly discouraged. Total surface disturbance resulting from the tests shall not exceed five one-hundredths percent (.05%) of the total site area. The supervisory archaeologist should consider the following when making a decision on whether to conduct limited tests.

(1) Do not conduct limited tests if a site can be avoided by the undertaking.

(2) Do not conduct limited tests to assess potential for subsurface deposits if a recommendation of eligibility can be made from visible evidence such as cultural deposits exposed in road beds or arroyo cuts.

(3) Conduct limited tests only when the tests are likely to produce sufficient information to make a definitive recommendation on whether the site should or should not be listed on the state register or determined eligible for the national register. Often limited tests are too restricted in scale to demonstrate the absence of subsurface cultural deposits. Test excavations (see 4.10.16 NMAC) are recommended in these situations and produce more reliable information about the site.

(4) Limited tests are prohibited if no adequate screen is available during survey.

B. Limited test equipment. Use hand tools such as trowels, shovels, hand corers and non-mechanical bucket augers. The use of mechanized equipment is prohibited.

C. Standards.

(1) Design limited tests to gather the appropriate information and to minimize damaging or diminishing the integrity of the archaeological site and features within the site. Make systematic tests to maximize interpretation of results. All shovel tests, augers, probes, small excavation units and test pits shall be given a unique field designation and shall be point-provenienced or excavated on a grid.

(a) Shovel tests shall be approximately 30 cm in diameter.

(b) Small test excavation units shall be 50-by-50 cm in size.

(c) Do not conduct trowel tests.

(2) With the exception of soil samples, sediments removed from all limited test units shall be passed through a screen of no greater than one-quarter inch (6.35mm). Consider using a smaller screen size.

(3) The bottom of the tests shall be lined with landscape cloth or marked in some other fashion to indicate depth of disturbance.

(4) Excavation of features is prohibited during limited tests.

(5) Collection of artifacts recovered from limited tests is discouraged and in-field artifact analysis is recommended.

(a) In-field analysis. Record recovered artifacts to professional standards in the region for the class of artifact. At a minimum, required information includes class of artifact, make, type or series and other attributes that relate to interpretation of chronology, form and function. Illustrations or photographs of diagnostic artifacts are encouraged. Attach copies of the in-field analysis forms, narrative descriptions and illustrations to the LA archaeological site record.

(b) Collections. If collections are made, note the provenience or collection unit and depth from which the artifact was retrieved. Analyze collected artifacts in a laboratory and in accordance with current professional standards for the class of artifacts in the region. Include results of the analyses in the survey report and indicate disposition of artifacts on the LA archaeological site record form. Collections shall be curated at an acceptable repository pursuant to 4.10.8 NMAC.

D. Documentation of limited test activities. At a minimum, the following information shall be included:

(1) explain the purpose of the limited tests on the archaeological site record and discuss in the survey report;

(2) location of test units. Plot the location of all test units on the site plan map relative to a permanent datum. List the point provenience or grid coordinate of each limited test unit relative to the site datum. Label limited test units according to their provenience on the site plan map, or attach a list of proveniences to the LA archaeological site record; and

(3) description of deposits. Describe the nature of the subsurface deposits encountered in each test unit and the depth of the unit. Use standard scientific terminology; color descriptions shall be made in Munsell terminology. Prepare profile drawings and photographs of at least one wall of each small excavation unit or test pit and features. Append the deposit descriptions to the LA archaeological site record and discuss in the survey report. Deposit descriptions include but are not limited to sediment color, texture, moisture content, nature of inclusions, organic content and an inventory of cultural materials, if any.

N.M. Code R. § 4.10.15.15

4.10.15.15 NMAC - N, 1/01/06