Office of State Archaeology
Submerged NC
Access to the Atlantic Ocean, along with a vast network of more than 37,000 miles of rivers and inlets, has served the people of North Carolina for thousands of years. Join us as we explore these connections!
Learn More
Updates and Information
In accordance with Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 117, and to help limit the spread of COVID-19, the Office of State Archaeology will suspend public operations beginning Mar. 17
Latest Updates
NCArchaeology@Home
Archaeology learning resources and activities for parents, teachers, and students available anywhere and anytime!
Explore
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.
Discover More
Cemeteries in North Carolina
Explore the information, policies and some common questions about protection of cemeteries in North Carolina.
Learn MoreWho We Are
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
Watch Our Lecture Series
More Information
Who's My Archaeologist?
View an interactive map with contact information for State Archaeologists assigned to different regions of North Carolina.
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.
