Historic preservation law changes threaten Georgia archaeological sites
Many Georgians can proudly name archaeological sites in Georgia like Ocmulgee, and Etowah, Fort Mountain, and Kennesaw Battlefield.
Many adults have fond memories of visiting Rock Eagle as schoolchildren. However, many might be surprised to learn Georgia is home to over 64,000 recorded archaeological sites and over 117,000 recorded historic structures and buildings.
Before the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, the number of recorded archaeological sites and structures was but a fraction — 1% — of this total, and they were being destroyed at a rapid clip.
Sites like the Archaic-period Soapstone Ridge, just west of Atlanta — a 4,000-year old site where Native Americans quarried soapstone to make into cooking vessels and traded slabs over long distances — were being destroyed by post-World War II development and highway construction.
Proposed revisions to one of the NHPA’s most important statutes would result in similar losses. Section 106 of the NHPA requires that federal undertakings, like road or bridge construction or transmission lines, must account for the effects of that work on archaeological sites, historic structures, and cultural landscapes.
It was put into place to identify and record these resources and find ways to ensure the most significant ones were not destroyed. Section 106 works to find a happy medium between development and preservation. The law does not stop development.
Cemeteries, battlefields and historic buildings could be impacted
Today, Section 106 is severely threatened, putting America’s historic resources in grave danger.
In late July, a drastic revision of Section 106 was presented to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP).
The council, an independent federal agency that advises Congress and the president on historic preservation policy, approved these changes after reviewing them for less than a week. They will soon be published in the Federal Register for public comment.
Without significant pushback from the public, these revisions will decimate historic preservation in America. The public will no longer be consulted on projects of concern.
Cemeteries, battlefields and historic buildings in your small town could be impacted before you are even aware of the project.
These resources will no longer be recorded, and neither will Native campsites or the Civil War-era cabins or enslaved cemeteries.
The definition of an archaeological site will change to only include evidence of structures, negating thousands of years of Native history — including places like Soapstone Ridge and Rock Eagle.
Tribes will no longer need to be consulted, and tribal sacred grounds will no longer be considered worthy of preservation. Family farmsteads, churches and church cemeteries, mill and mining remains, historic downtowns — all are at grave risk if these revisions stand.
As currently practiced, Section 106 involves many conversations, documents, fieldwork and partnerships. It is not a perfect process, but it has worked for 60 years. It is the reason we have 64,000 archaeological sites and 117,000 historic structures in Georgia, with more recorded daily.
Archaeological sites don’t stop roads, bridges and structure construction
The NHPA created a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) that ensures the Section 106 process is followed; however, revisions will largely sideline the role of the SHPO in Section 106 consultation, further endangering historic resources.
Much of the Section 106 work records the lives of everyday Americans, people like you and me who worked to build this nation, whose lives would otherwise go unrecorded.
People like tenant farmers in Washington County whose houses were uncovered and recorded as part of the Section 106 process and whose descendants contributed to the interpretation of the archaeological record. What we do and what we leave behind today will be the archaeology of tomorrow. Section 106 ensures that all of our stories are recorded and remembered.
Those wanting these revisions — including the mining industry — argue that the presence of one archaeological site stops progress. This is simply untrue. Across the nation, there are approximately 3 million archaeological sites and over 5 million historic structures recorded, but these sites and structures haven’t stopped the construction of highways, bridges, and other federal facilities citizens use daily. Of 16,000 projects reviewed by the Georgia SHPO in the last 5 years, only 2% identified a harmful effect to a historic resource.
We urge all Georgians to speak out against these changes. These revisions will silence the public’s voice and destroy what we know of tens of thousands of years of history on American soil.
Contact your congressional representatives and the governor and urge them to put a stop to these revisions. Follow or join the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation to learn more about what you can do. Destroying Section 106 destroys American history.
Come to a public forum to learn from experts, see artifacts, and hear success stories about Section 106 on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., Scholar’s Event Theater located in the Price Gilbert Library on Georgia Tech’s Campus (visitor parking on North Avenue).
Maureen Meyers, Ph.D., is director of archaeology for New South Associates, Inc., former president of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference, and a registered professional archaeologist. Sarah Love, M.A., M.H.P., is a senior archaeologist and doctoral candidate with over 10 years of experience in state and federal cultural resource management.
Send letters to the editor of 250 words or fewer with your name, city or town and contact information to letters@ajc.com.