Office of State Archaeology
Trowel Blazers: Women Making History
The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. Join us this October in honoring the contributions of women to North Carolina archaeology and history!
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Halifax Archaeology Day Video
Check out this short video from recent work at Historic Halifax!
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Public Education and Research
An essential activity for the OSA involves public education programs on prehistoric and historic archaeology.
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Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge
Learn more about the our efforts to raise Blackbeard's flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, and to save the priceless artifacts it contains for future generations.
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Cemeteries in North Carolina
Explore the information, policies and some common questions about protection of cemeteries in North Carolina.
Learn MoreWhat We Do
The Office of State Archaeology (OSA) serves North Carolina’s citizens through programs that identify archaeological resources on land and beneath state waters. OSA archaeologists and staff are specialists with decades of academic training and practical experience, which we apply to gather and share knowledge about the vast time range (more than 12,000 years) of North Carolina’s historic experience.
We protect the state’s legacy of Native American villages, colonial towns, farmsteads, and historic shipwrecks through application of state and federal archaeology laws and regulations, and by maintaining inventories of site data and artifact collections. OSA furnishes professional archaeology services to government agencies, museums, schools and the general public. Appreciation of our state’s cultural heritage enhances the social, educational, cultural and economic future of North Carolina.
Lecture Series
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Environmental Review
By law, we provide guidance to help the federal, state, and local governments plan projects that account for our state's archaeological heritage.
Who's My Archaeologist?
View an interactive map with contact information for State Archaeologists assigned to different regions of North Carolina.