The University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist General Contracts Program, Melody Pope, director
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General Contracts Program Activities

The UI-OSA General Contracts Program ordinarily conducts a broad spectrum of services, working with all levels of government, as well as private corporations, Indian tribes, and private citizens on cultural resource management related investigations that include but are not necessarily limited to:

 
  • Identification surveys (e.g., Phase IA reconnaissance and Phase I intensive geomorphological and archaeological investigations as defined in the Guidelines for Archaeological Investigations in Iowa [SHPO 1999]) and as similarly practiced outside Iowa.
  • Evaluations (a.k.a., Phase II NRHP eligibility testing) of prehistoric and historical archaeology sites.
  • Mitigations (a.k.a., Phase III data recovery), for both prehistoric and historical archaeology sites.
  • Consultation with state and federal agencies, Indian tribes, descendant communities and individuals, other professionals, and members of the general public concerning cultural resources including archaeological sites, traditional cultural properties (TCPs), and aspects of the built environment.
  • Preparation of planning documents, overviews, summaries, memoranda of understanding or agreement (MOUs/MOAs), programmatic agreements (PAs), and scopes-of-work (SOWs).
  • Specialty analyses and services including flotation processing; chert raw material identification; lithic, ceramic, historic artifact, floral, faunal, and spatial analyses; ground penetrating radar; geomorphological and geoarchaeological investigations; artifact and site photography and illustration; surveying, GPS, and GIS mapping and analysis; and report preparation (graphics and text).

These activities are typically—but not exclusively—conducted as Section 106 (NHPA) compliance undertakings; other state and federal grant and contract sources also fund GCP activities (e.g., HRDP, State Preserves Board, CLG, TEA-21). Past GCP activities have included significant use of volunteers or students for certain client- or sponsor-approved aspects of projects and integrated compliance and volunteer activities when deemed appropriate. GCP routinely hires specialized consultants and hourly employees as needed to complete projects.

GCP activities are typically conducted in Iowa, Missouri, or Illinois, however the GCP has served as consultant to the U.S. Army COE Rock Island District (portions of IA, IL, MO, MN, WI). Previously, GCP has teamed as a subcontractor projects in the NPS Midwest Region (potential work in AR, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, or WI). Current GCP staff—including geoarchaeological consultant Joe Alan Artz—have prior direct project experience in all these states (and others). GCP would contemplate involvement in project opportunities in states other than those included in the NPS Midwest Region on a case-by-case basis

Updated by Mary De La Garza, August 2007.
Designed by Tricia R. Bender
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