The office of state archaeologist, hereafter referred to as
OSA, was organized in 1959 to provide for the location, recovery, restoration
and preservation of archaeological materials for the state, and coordinate
these activities with other state agencies. The OSA publishes both educational
and scientific reports related to these duties and responsibilities.
(1) In order to meet these statutory
objectives under Iowa Code section
263B.2 and Acts of the
Sixty-seventh General Assembly, Senate File 2200, sections 26 and 50, the OSA
is defined as the primary state interagency service organization for
archaeological survey, evaluation, and mitigation. In this capacity, the OSA is
notified of projects that are funded or permitted by the state or that have the
potential for adversely affecting archaeological sites.
(2) In instances where an agency lacks an
archaeological program, the OSA will contact appropriate institutions and
professional archaeologists to determine their interest in participating in a
state-funded project.
(3) If an
organization or individual other than the OSA agrees to conduct archaeological
investigations, the OSA will establish a direct contact between the pertinent
state agency and the institution or professional archaeologist. In such
projects the OSA acts primarily to coordinate archaeological studies on state
projects and ensures that such studies deemed necessary are
completed.
(4) The goal of
utilizing the procedures in this rule, as they apply to the department of
transportation and to any other state agency, is to ensure that neither the
state nor any of its legal subdivisions is responsible for the needless
destruction of historical objects. If such destruction occurs, or cannot be
avoided, OSA will take proper reasonable action to obtain all possible
information concerning such materials prior to destruction. However, OSA will
not assume financial responsibility for intermediate- to large-scale actions
involving the salvaging of archaeological information.
(5) OSA performs other duties such as
expansion and development of professional and public input into the operation
of the office via communication with professional organizations, state and
federal agencies and private societies.
(6) OSA provides assistance to local and
regional groups or individuals throughout the state in the areas of lectures,
general assistance on public or private projects, curation of artifacts and
offers programs of assistance to public schools.
(7) OSA maintains an archaeological
repository for the state and bears the related responsibility of development
and maintenance of an archaeological documents collection related to material
in the repository.
(8) OSA may
perform archaeological contract services for agencies utilizing federal, state,
or private funding.
This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code sections 263B.2,
263B.6 and 263B.9.
