Mississippi Standards for Archaeological Practices

From the Introduction to the Standards: "Mississippi history dates back to over 12,000 years ago. The vast majority of that history is unwritten and becomes known only through the archaeological record. Most often, archaeological investigations in Mississippi occur in response to federal and state laws that protect archaeological resources. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History, serving as the Mississippi State Historic Preservation Office (MSSHPO), developed these Standards to provide a framework for those activities, as well as guidance for non-regulatory archaeological studies. In accordance with MS Code 39-7-21 (2013), the Board of Trustees adopted the following standards to guide archaeological excavations in Mississippi. These Standards replace the 'Guidelines for Archaeological Investigations and Reports in Mississippi' established in 2001, and as amended in 2012. Since that date, there have been many technological advances, advances in archaeological method and theory, and reevaluation of archaeological practices and procedures in Mississippi. These Standards will reflect those. The Standards reflect various goals for Mississippi archaeology: ensure that archaeological studies meet high professional research standards; identify important archaeological sites that contribute to our understanding of Mississippi's pre-contact and post-contact history; protect important archaeological sites, or when appropriate, gain information; provide significant public benefits; develop sound and reasoned public policy on regulatory archaeology; keep archaeological studies as cost effective as possible; and increase creativity and flexibility in the conduct of archaeological studies. Archaeology in Mississippi must result in significant public benefit. As new information is garnered through archaeological research, it is the archaeological community's responsibility to share this information widely. These Standards emphasize public education and communication with clients, landowners, local governments, community members, and interested constituencies. The Standards also stress the need for clear and improved communication about archaeological expectations, methods, findings, and their value and relevance. These Standards are meant to allow for flexibility to ensure that the scope and cost of recommended archaeological actions are commensurate with a project's scale, level of anticipated impacts, project area characteristics, and the significance of sites that may be affected by the project. The Standards emphasize the importance of prioritizing archaeological investigations in an effort to focus on the discovery and consideration of significant archaeological sites. The Standards also emphasize the importance of evaluating the significance of a site as early as possible in the archaeological assessment process. These Standards represent a summary of information that has been drawn from other published SHPO guidelines and practical experience working in the Southeastern United States. The Standards have been designed to reflect the minimum specifications for the collection and presentation of technical archaeological information." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Mississippi Historic Preservation Division, Department of Archives & History, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (grant number P19AF00221).

Mississippi Standards for Archaeological Practices

Collections