PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY
Sponsored by the Midwest Archeological Center, Southeast Archeological Center, Federal Highway Administration, and Georgia Department of Transportation

Current Archeological Prospection Advances for Non-destructive Investigations Workshop
Dates: May 15-19, 2006
Location: Fort Frederica National Monument
St. Simons Island, Georgia

Summary Description: The National Park Service's 2006 workshop on archaeological prospection techniques entitled Current Archaeological Prospection Advances for Non-Destructive Investigations in the 21st Century will be held May 15-19, 2006, at the Fort Frederica National Monument, Georgia. Lodging will be at the Quality Inn Island House on St. Simons Island, Georgia. This will be the sixteenth year of the workshop dedicated to the use of geophysical, aerial photography, and other remote sensing methods as they apply to the identification, evaluation, conservation, and protection of archaeological resources across this Nation. The workshop this year will focus on the theory of operation, methodology, processing, interpretation, and on-hands use of the equipment in the field. There is a tuition charge of $475.00. Application forms are available on the Midwest Archeological Center's web site at http://www.cr.nps.gov/mwac/training/ARCH06TNG.pdf. For further information, please contact Steven L. DeVore, Archeologist, National Park Service, Midwest Archeological Center, Federal Building, Room 474, 100 Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508-3873: tel: (402) 437-5392, ext. 141; fax: (402) 437-5098; email: steve_de_vore@nps.gov.

Details:

Description: This workshop is designed to provide a practical application of geophysical equipment and aerial photographic techniques available for the identification, evaluation, and ultimately, the conservation and protection of cultural resources. The field exercises associated with the course will concentrate on the application of these techniques to archeological investigations. Instruction will be given in the use, processing, and interpretation of data from magnetometers, conductivity meters, resistivity meters, ground penetrating radar, metal detectors, and magnetic susceptibility and their applications to non-destructive subsurface investigations. The major emphasis of the training will be on the field use of the equipment. Topics include an introduction to geophysical techniques in archeological testing and excavation. Instruction will also be offered in the use of and interpretation of aerial photographic techniques, and in the use of low altitude large scale aerial reconnaissance.

Geophysical techniques provide a means of non-destructive investigations for archeological
surveys. Geophysics utilizes physical principles to study the earth through indirect interpretation
of the earth's physical properties. Geophysicists to interpret the earth’s physical characteristics
use physical, electrical, and/or chemical measurements. Active geophysical techniques are based
on responses from an induced signal used to detect contracts in different material properties.Such techniques include electromagnetics (EM), ground penetrating radar (GPR), metal detectors, electrical resistivity, and seismic. Passive techniques are based on responses from the natural conditions. These techniques include magnetics, gravity, and self potential (SP). Participants will be provided an opportunity to use the following geophysical survey techniquesincluding magnetics, electromagnetics, ground penetrating radar, resistivity, and metal detection. The course will provide an opportunity to learn about non-destructive geophysical techniques for archeological investigations including advantages and disadvantages of such techniques.

Participants: Federal, State, and Local governmental cultural resource managers and specialists (i.e., archeologists, historians, architects, and contracting personnel) as well as private contractors, university professors and students, and international cultural resource personnel, with specific responsibilities concerning the identification, evaluation, conservation, protection, and management of archeological and other cultural resources across the nation. Due to limitations of space, participation in the workshop is limited to 50 participants.

Potential Instructors: Course instructors in the past have included Dr. Lewis
Somers, Geoscan Research USA; Dr. Bruce Bevan, Geosight; Mr. Jule Caylor, USDA Forest
Service; Dr. John Weymouth, University of Nebraska; Mr. James W. Walker, Brigham Young
University; Mr. G. Clark Davenport, Geoforensics International; Dr. Rinita Dalan, Minnesota
State University; Dr. Dean Goodman, Geophysical Archaeometry Laboratory, Dr. Douglas Scott,
Midwest Archeological Center; Dr. Kenneth Kvamme, University of Arkansas; Dr. Larry
Conyers, University of Denver; and Dr. Berle Clay, Cultural Resource Analysts.

Dates: The workshop is planned for May 15-19, 2006. Additional information on
the workshop and lodging is available from the National Park Service (Steven De Vore, Course
Coordinator--phone: (402) 437-5392, ext. 141). Lodging and lectures will be at the Quality Inn
Island House on St. Simons Island with field exercises conducted at Fort Frederica National Monument.

Application: There is a $475.00 charge for course tuition. Non-Government personnel should
complete the application/nomination form and send a check or money order to the National Park Service, Midwest Archeological Center, ATTN: Steven De Vore, Federal Building, Room 474, 100 Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508-3873. Checks/money orders must be
payable to the National Park Service. Application forms are available on the Midwest Archeological Center's web site at http://www.cr.nps.gov/mwac/training/ARCH06TNG.pdf. Federal employees should submit the nomination form as well as a 10-part SF-182 Training Form through your local Training Office. All nomination forms must be in by COB April 21, 2006. Participants will be notified by April 28, 2006 as to their acceptance to the workshop. Questions should be directed to Steven De Vore at (402) 437-5392, ext. 141; e-mail: steve_de_vore@nps.gov).