5900-434          Archaeological excavation in progress.

The Fernald site is located in southwest Ohio, an area rich in cultural history.  Since the early 1990s, when DOE and Fluor Fernald initiated fieldwork and soil excavation as part of the site’s cleanup mission, Fernald has discovered over 100 prehistoric and over 40 historic cultural resource sites buried on and near the site. 

DOE recognizes the cultural and scientific value of archaeological resources and has developed a national program to ensure its facilities protect and preserve these resources and comply with all historic preservation laws, including the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, the most comprehensive national policy on historic preservation. NHPA requires federal agencies, such as DOE, to consider how their actions or projects may effect historical and archaeological resources. The agency must also provide a reasonable opportunity for the public to comment on the effects.  

In addition to the NHPA, its amendments and other governing statutes, DOE must comply with the U.S. Department of Interior’s guidelines for archaeological activities conducted on federal lands. To evaluate the nature and extent of cultural resources and determine whether a site is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, the federal agency (i.e., DOE) must conduct a series of archaeological investigations. A Phase I investigation involves shoveling and screening soil and examining soil layers to determine the presence of artifacts. If a Phase I investigation warrants further study, the federal agency must conduct a Phase II investigation, a more detailed examination of soil layers that is used to determine whether a site is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. If the federal agency determines that the planned activity (i.e., cleanup) must continue to support its mission, then the agency must conduct a Phase III investigation, or data recovery, which involves the removal of the artifacts for curation.

In 1999, DOE and Fluor Fernald were conducting a Phase I archaeological survey as part of an ecological research project, when workers found four unrecorded archaeological sites -- three prehistoric sites and one historic site. The sites contained hammer stone and pieces of debitage (chert flakes resulting from the manufacture of blades or points) and fire-cracked rock. Specialists analyzed the artifacts and determined the sites were not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, so no further work was conducted. 

To educate citizens about the area’s cultural history, DOE and Fluor Fernald have shared the findings and artifacts with regulators, local schools, Native American tribes and community groups. In 1996, the Fernald site provided a tract of land to Native Americans for the re-interment of ancestral remains disturbed during the construction of the area’s public water supply. In cooperation with local school districts and the Hamilton County Park District, Fernald developed a curriculum called Archaeology, Can You Dig It? for elementary students to learn about archaeology and preservation. As site closure nears, Fernald management and stakeholders will continue to work together on issues, such as cultural resource preservation, that will affect the site after cleanup is complete. 

For more information about Fernald Cultural Resource activities, contact Sue Walpole, S.M. Stoller, at 513-648-4026, email: Sue.Walpole@lm.doe.gov.