Civil Engineer’s and Environmental Engineer’s Key Responsibilities during Major Archaeological Excavations

About the Course:

This course will discuss the interface between archaeology and civil engineering, including temporary utilities and structures. This will likely require obtaining the requisite permits for the local jurisdiction. It will require designing the access roads, including the slope, width, and surface. Drainage design will be critical because they probably will not be paved. The temporary facilities will include housing if the scientists plan to spend the night at the site, security posts, flush toilets, benches, and shade structures. The civil engineers will need to develop a project schedule governed by the archaeologists’ scope of work. Some projects can be completed in a short period of time, and others can linger for several years. Other scientists may join the team if the work becomes more complex than originally expected. In that case, additional temporary trailers and utilities will be needed. There are quite a number of endangered animals in the United States so the engineer must determine if any are present during the planning phase of the project. It is incumbent upon the engineer to keep holes from filling with water while it is raining. He needs to ensure that sewage and debris from the dig are handled in a safe manner.

This course describes civil engineers and environmental engineers' key roles during archaeological excavations, including designing access roads, fencing, temporary structures, utilities, communications, protection of endangered plants and wildlife, ensuring site stability, and protection of adjacent structures.

Course Objectives:

• Identify a civil engineering specialty
• Inform project archaeologists of the need for civil engineers during archaeological work
• Help engineers develop their scope of work

Who is the Target Audience?

• Environmental Engineers
• Construction Project Managers
• Urban Planners and Land Use Professionals
• Engineering Students (Civil / Environmental)
• Compliance Officers / EHS (Environmental, Health & Safety) Professionals
• Librarians
• Curators
• Historians
• Ecologists
• Geotechnical engineers
• Civil engineers
• Forensic investigators
• Archeologists
• Cultural anthropologists
• Biologists

Basic Knowledge:

• Basic Knowledge of Civil or Environmental Engineering Principles
• Familiarity with Construction Project Lifecycle
• Introductory Understanding of Environmental or Cultural Resource Regulations
• Basic Terminology in Archaeology or Cultural Resource Management (CRM) (Recommended but not mandatory)
• Professional or Academic Background in Engineering, Construction, or Environmental Sciences