Request Site File Research Appointment
Update as of June 23, 2022:
The Office of State Archaeology is continuing to return to more normalized operations following the changes implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Beginning Tuesday, July 5, 2022, we will resume in-person background research in the OSA’s Raleigh office. Researchers and consultants will need to schedule appointments 24 hours in advance to conduct background research. OSA staff will no longer be able to provide remote digital site file services to researchers and consultants. We will still be offering remote site file searches to federal and state archaeologists. Archaeologists with federal and state agencies can continue to email their site file search requests to osafilesearch@ncdcr.gov.
OSA maintains site files and survey reports in our Raleigh Office. By scheduling an appointment, professional archaeologists with consulting firms and students performing research can access this information - including site forms, reports, and site locations (GIS data exists for most sites, though many survey areas from 5+ years ago have not yet been added to GIS). Information on historic architectural resources can be obtained online at NC Historic Preservation Office’s HPOWEB.
Individuals accessing the OSA site files should be SOI-qualified archaeologists. If an SOI-qualified archaeologist is unable to perform in-person background research for the project, then the individual should be an archaeologist or SOI-qualified historic preservation specialist operating under the direct supervision of an SOI-qualified archaeologist. SOI qualifications are found here: Secretary of the Interior's (SOI) professional qualifications.
Any firms or individuals not on the OSA Archaeological Consultant List should complete a Consultants Questionnaire and submit to osafilesearch@ncdcr.gov. Completing this questionnaire allows OSA to ensure that an SOI-qualified archaeologist is directing the research.
Before requesting an appointment to access site file information, please review OSA’s Archaeological Investigation Standards and Guidelines for Background Research, Field Methodologies, Technical Reports, and Curation.
To schedule an appointment for in-person background research at OSA's Raleigh Office, fill out the form below 24 hours in advance. Site file research/background review will take place in OSA's Map Room where you will have access to GIS including tools to help you identify sites within your area of interest and locate associated scanned reports and site forms. Scans can be requested for any reports or forms not in digital format. Please remember to bring a means to save reports and forms (e.g., flash drive) and any GIS features for your project area(s).