CULTURAL (GEOLOGICAL) RESOURCE HERITAGE: IT’S NOT JUST ARCHAEOLOGY ANYMORE!

Archaeological sites are threatened by development and climate change at a greater pace than in the past. Coastal sites are at particular risk as increasing rates of sea level rise intensify damage from storm-driven waves. As these cultural heritage sites disappear, we lose irreplaceable information on past lifeways, landscapes, and ecosystems. Archaeologists now use a wide variety of techniques to acquire data rapidly, and many fall within the realm of geoarchaeology (i.e. geophysics, GIS, drones). Various archaeologists in Maine (Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Univ. Maine, Univ. of Southern Maine) have been running small rescue archaeology projects in cooperation with local and regional Land Trusts. These efforts frequently incorporate public volunteers in excavation teams. However, this work is largely focused on the archaeological aspects of the threatened sites. Herein lies the opportunity for geoarchaeologists. The same people who take part in volunteer excavations often have broader interests than archaeology. With appropriate training and coaching, these local volunteers can monitor site conditions and erosion events throughout the year. Monitoring can be as simple as an email or text with photos, or more detailed, such as repeated site photography events to produce structure from motion records for comparison and analysis of erosion rates and site conditions. Our Maine geoarchaeology group is working to develop a linked geological and archaeological approach to site monitoring and rescue. These efforts can provide valuable information to help focus limited resources on the most threatened and archaeologically valuable sites. Now is the time to work with engaged archaeologists to document valuable geological information associated with threatened sites at the local level.