Posted: March 29th, 2016

Adopted Site: Port Alexandria, Egypt

Adopted Site: Port Alexandria, Egypt

Each term project will differ based upon the site chosen. The overall goal will be to record a cultural site for inclusion in the state inventory, possibly for listing in the State Register. The list of tasks provided below are some typical things that get done in Cultural Resource Management while considering a site for listing in the Register.

I. Basic Locational information (see this county link for Hawaiʻi Island)
1) Property owner
Is access restricted or open to the public?
2) Tax Map Key designation
3) Traditional/native name & translation
4) Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinates
5) Site location plotted on a U.S.G.S. map (copy)

II. Background Information
1)Was the site initially located through an avocational collector, property owner, CRM survey, field-school, or other means?
2)Interview local residents or knowledgeable informants about the area. Is there anyone with first-hand knowledge of the site’s use? Obtain written permission from the informant if you choose to use their material.
3)Check for any publications or archaeological surveys that may have mentioned this site before, and develop a bibliography for your report.
4) Look for historical maps- check this amazing link: https://dags.hawaii.gov/survey/search.php

5)Even if you can’t find any specific information on this particular site, what can you learn about the general history of land-use in this particular area (both prehistorically and historically)?

III. Age
How old do you think this site is and why? Are there artifacts present that are typical of the prehistoric period? Are there artifacts present from the historical period? Do you expect this site was used for a short period of time, or is there evidence that it was used over a long period of time or for more than one purpose? What dating techniques may be applied here (C-14, ceramic typology, age of volcanic flows, etc…)?

IV. Physical Characteristics
1) If appropriate, complete a tape-and-compass surface map of the site. Use metric measurements. Be sure to include a north arrow (magnetic north), scale, and reference to a prominent site datum. This assignment will take a good portion of your 2-hours per week to complete well. Examples of good tape-and-compass maps will be provided.
2)Describe present vegetation- Hawaiian names and Latin names for all plants that you can determine. List number of unidentified plants as well as those that you identified.
3)Describe the soil type. Use standard descriptions from USDA soil series maps. Is the site built on bedrock, shallow soil or deep soil? If possible determine the depth of the soil through observations of erosional banks or possibly a small soil core.
4)Is there any evidence of midden or other archaeological deposits in the soil? If so, describe them (BUT DON’T COLLECT ANYTHING). If the site involves stone construction, describe the stones (size, waterworn?, `a`a, pahoehoe, etc..) and the closest possible source of such stones. Provide sketches or photographs of artifacts that you feel may be particularly diagnostic. Be certain to include the location of these items in your tape-and-compass map.
5)Describe the landform (flat stream terrace, gently sloping pahoehoe flow, pu`u, lava tube, kipuka, slope of volcanic shield, etc). Give % slope of ground.
6)What is the closest source of water and how far away is it?

V. Site Function
Based upon II, III, and IV, what do you expect the function(s) of the site to have been?

VI. Site Significance
Apply the criteria of eligibility for the National and/or Hawaii State Register of Historic Places to the site, and make an argument regarding whether or not the site could be determined eligible for listing on either register.