The National Clearinghouse for Archaeological Site Stabilization was originally formed through a tripartite cooperative agreement between the National Park Service (NPS) office of the Departmental Consulting Archaeologist, the Cultural Resources Program at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the University of Mississippi. The Clearinghouse was headquartered at the University of Mississippi, and its primary functions were to develop and maintain a site stabilization bibliography, to help develop and present workshops on site stabilization, and to provide expertise in the development of archaeological site stabilization projects. Through time, Federal involvement changed, with the DCA no longer actively participating and NPS involvement replaced with cooperative agreements between TVA, the NPS's Southeast Archaeological Center (SEAC), and the University. Ultimately, TVA's role would be diminished and the Clearinghouse now stands alone as a unit of the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Mississippi. Close consultation ties are still maintained with the TVA archaeological staff and through an MOU with SEAC. The Clearinghouse has evolved and has become a primary source of expertise in the development of archaeological site stabilization projects, but its original purposes have not been forgotten. 

A partially annotated bibliography containing entries directly applicable to the solution of site stabilization and protection problems is still maintained and is provided at no cost on request. The bibliography is divided into four sections: (1) Philosophy; (2) Technical Support; (3) Management Recommendations; and (4) Practical Applications. Entries in the Bibliography have been drawn from a variety of sources. Contributed references from colleagues that address site preservation and conservation issues are of primary importance in maintaining up-to-date examples of national and international level projects. In-place site conservation projects must , by their very nature, be systemic, and a variety of aspects of the immediate natural and cultural environment must be considered as a plan is developed. These issues are also addressed in the bibliography. Users are cautioned that no single entry in the bibliography is likely to provide sufficient background data to serve as the sole support for the design of a particular stabilization/protection scheme. Rather, data from several sources will need to be combined, and in many instances re-interpreted, to properly support project design.

The Clearinghouse conducts a variety of technical assistance activities related to development of archeological site stabilization programs. These have included systematic analyses of the current status of stabilization methodology, analyses of statutory and regulatory bases for stabilization as a preservation alternative, evaluations of preservation technology transfer, initiatives for training development, and design and testing in experimental stabilization projects. Many of these activities, especially training, have been completed in cooperation with governmental agencies, private utilities, and other organizations. The operational problems in conducting stabilization projects, especially as they relate to mid-level administrative structures of organizations, have been analyzed also. The principal result of this work has been an improved understanding of cost-benefit data. These data are critical not only to establish an informed basis for selecting appropriate stabilization technologies for projects, but just as important, to specify cost efficient post-installation evaluation and maintenance procedures compatible with the ways agencies conduct their daily business.

Selected Clearinghouse References

Thorne, Robert M.
     1987  Archaeological Site Stabilization on Huffine Island Watts Bar Lake, Tennessee. In Archaeological Site Stabilization in the Tennessee River Valley Phase III, by Patricia M. Fay, Archaeological Papers of the Center for Archaeological Research Number 7, University of Mississippi, and Tennessee Valley Authority Publications in Anthropology, Number 49, Chattanooga, TN.

     1988   Filter Fabric: A Technique for Short-term Site Stabilization. Archaeological Assistance Program, Technical Brief No. 1, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Washington, D.C.

     1988   Guidelines for the Organization of Archaeological Site Stabilization Projects: A Modeled Approach. Technical Report EL-88-8, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS.

     1989  Intentional Site Burial: A Technique to Protect Against Natural or Mechanical Loss. Archaeological Assistance Program, Technical Brief No. 5, Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Washington, D.C.

     1990  Revegetation: The Soft Approach to Archaeological Site Stabilization. Archaeological Assistance Program, Technical Brief No. 8, Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Washington, D.C.

     1991  Stabilization, Protection Lessen Resource Damage. Federal Archaeology Report, Vol. 4, No. 1, USDI, National Park Service, Archaeological Assistance Division, Washington, D.C.

     1992  Archaeological Site Stabilization: The American Experience. Paper presented at the Stabilization Seminar, Birmingham, England, September, 1992.

     1993  Pre-stabilization Assessment of Archaeological Sites on Vandenberg Air Force Base, Santa Barbara County, California. National Park Service, Southeast Regional Office, Atlanta, GA.

     1994  Recommendations for the Conservation of the Skitchewaug Site (VT-MN-41), Vermont. Report on file at the National Clearinghouse for Archaeological Site Stabilization, Center for Archaeological Research
University of Mississippi, Oxford.

Thorne, Robert M. and John E. Ehrenhard
     1991  Archaeological Site Stabilization Recommendations for Resources Located in Olympic and North Cascades National Parks, San Juan Island National Historical Park, and Coulee Dam National Recreation Area. National Park Service, Interagency Archaeological Services Division, Atlanta, GA.

     1993  Archaeological Site Stabilization Recommendations for Resources Located at Canaveral National Seashore, Florida. National Park Service, Interagency Archaeological Services Division, Atlanta, GA. 

     1993  Archaeological Site Stabilization Recommendations for Resources Located at Hurlburt Field, Fort Walton, Florida. National Park Service, Interagency Archaeological Services Division, Atlanta, GA. 

     1994  Archaeological Site Stabilization Study Eglin Air Force Base, Fort Walton, Florida. National Park Service, Interagency Archaeological Services Division, Atlanta, GA. 

     1997  Archaeological Site Conservation Recommendations for the Cove House Site, Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook Unit. National Park Service, Southeast Archaeological Center. Tallahassee, FL. 

Ehrenhard, John and Robert M. Thorne
     1991  An Experiment in Archaeological Site Stabilization, Cumberland Island National Seashore. CRM, Volume 14, No 2  [requires Acrobat Reader], U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Washington, D. C.

     1993  An Experiment in Archaeological Site Stabilization - Part II, Cumberland Island National Seashore. CRM, Volume 16, No 5 [requires Acrobat Reader], U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Washington, D. C.

Thorne, Robert M., P.M. Fay and James J. Hester
     1987  Archaeological Site Preservation Techniques: A Preliminary Review. Technical Report EL-87-3, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS.

Pace, Judith L. and Robert M. Thorne
     1998  Archaeological Site Stabilization at Site 8PB35, Palm Beach County, Florida. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Jackson District Office, Jackson, MS.

For more information or to receive a copy of the complete site stabilization bibliography, contact:

Robert M. Thorne
Updated 6/5/09: Tel.: (601) 906-8378 - cell; (601) 956-3663 - office, Pickering Environmental Consulting

National Clearinghouse for Archaeological Site Stabilization
Center for Archaeological Research
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi 38677
E-mail: rmthorne@olemiss.edu

Related links:

• "Site Stabilization Information Sources," Technical Brief No. 12
• "Filter Fabric: A Technique for Short-term Site Stabilization," Technical Brief No. 1
• "Revegetation: The Soft Approach to Archaeological Site Stabilization," Technical Brief No. 8
• "Intentional Site Burial," Technical Brief No. 5
• "An Experiment in Archeological Site Stabilization—Part II, Cumberland Island National Seashore," CRM Bulletin 16(5)  [requires Acrobat Reader]
• "Stabilization and Restoration at Russell Cave, " CRM Bulletin 17(1):28–30  [requires Acrobat Reader]
  
• SEAC Site Stabilization Projects
• NPS Preservation Briefs
• CRM Bulletion archives (1978-2002): Index, Database
• CRM Journal (2003- )
• NPS Publications
  

Related Publications:

Florida Department of State
     2000  Archaeological Stabilization Guide: Case Studies in Protectionf Archaeological Sites. Division of Historical Resources, Bureau of Archaeological Research, Tallahassee, Florida.

     2000  Best Management Practices: An Owners Guide to Protecting Archaeological Sites. Division of Historical Resources, Bureau of Archaeological Research, Tallahassee, Florida.

Southeast Archeological Center
     1990  Coping with Site Looting, Southeastern Perspectives. Readings in Archeological Resource Protection Series, No. 1. John E. Ehrenhard, Editor, Southeast Archeological Center, National Park Service, Tallahassee, Florida.  [2000 Web version]

     1994  Site Destruction in Georgia and the Carolinas. Readings in Archeological Resource Protection Series, No. 2. David G. Anderson and Virginia Horak, Editors, Southeast Archeological Center, National Park Service, Tallahassee, Florida.