INTRODUCTION

Dredged material is processed according to the Level 1 Archaeological Monitoring protocol outlined in the draft Cultural Resource Monitoring Plan (revised September 2020). This protocol calls for dredged soft sediments to be placed directly into barges, floated to the processing facility, and screened over bars on a vibrating platform. Items removed during the vibratory screening process are then sorted by trained personnel as per the draft Cultural Resource Monitoring Plan. Items of potential interest (possible artifacts or objects of local interest) are placed in a separate stockpile and photographed for archaeologists to review. These items are then placed in a holding area for archaeologists to inspect. To date, the vast majority of the recovered items consisted of modern debris and timbers.

RESULTS

An archaeologist conducted a scheduled site visit on 4/16/21 to review the recovered items in person with the assistance of a dredge material processing facility machine and operator to sort  through stockpiled items. Photographs were taken of stockpiled items.

The recovered items were spread by machine on a flat hard surface to allow for an archaeologist to clearly review them (Photograph 1). Any item of potential interest was separated, rinsed and assessed. The reviewed material was collected on the right side of the review area, while residual  material reviewed last week remained at center and left (Photograph 1). The reviewed material was unsorted and included muddy debris comprised of concrete fragments, rocks, large and small pieces of wood and timber miscellaneous metal, tires and car parts (Photograph 2, 3 and 4). No items of interest were retained.

ITEMS SEPARATED FOR FURTHER REVIEW

The archaeologist retained no items for further analysis.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The archaeologist concludes that no items observed during the sediment screening were of interest or retained. The archaeologist further recommends that all the non-historically/archaeologically significant debris at the dredge material processing facility has been reviewed by the archaeologist as of 4/16/2021 may be disposed of.