DOCUMENT RESUME ED 280 782 SO 018 051 TITLE Technologies for Prehistoric & Historic Preservation. INSTITUTION Congress of the U.S., Washington, D.C. Office of Technology Assessment. REPORT NO OTA-E-319 PUB DATE Sep 86 NOTE 209p. AVAILABLE FROMSuperintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. .PUB TYPE Reports General (140) -- Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC09 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Archaeology; Architectural Character; *Architecture; Building Conversion; Building Obsolescence; *Buildings; Conservation (Environment); Construction Materials; Facilities; Facility Guidelines; *Preservation; *Repair; Resources; *Technological Advancement ABSTRACT Archaeological remains and historic structures and landscapes are important tangible reminders of the United States' rich and diverse cultural heritage. In recent years the stresses on these unique, nonrenewable cultural resources have increased dramatically. This report presents the primary findings of an assessment requested by the House of Representatives Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. Focus is on the applications of preservation technologies rather than preservation disciplines. The study examines the current use of preservation technologies and identifies research and development needs. It also explores how improvements in Federal policy and implementation can make more effective use of technologies appropriate for managing this country's prehistoric and historic cultural resources. Appendices are: (1) "Cultural Resources Management Laws and Regulations"; (2) "Documentation and Conservation of Rock Art";(3) "Registration and Private Ownership of Archaeological Objects"; (4) "National Register Criteria from the Introduction to: 'How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluatiole"; (5) "National Register of Historic Places Inventory--Nomination Form"; (6) "U.S. National Park Service Cultural Programs"; (7) "Advisory Council on Historic Preservation"; (8) "National Trust for Historic Preservation"; and (9) "National Building Museum." (Bz) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** ICI ser U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 03 Office of Educational Research and Irnprovemel EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIO CENTER (ERIC) 2'1'.'his document has been reproduceda receivud from the person or organizatio originating it. 0 Minor changes have been madeto improv reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions statedin this doCt ment do not necessarily represent officit OERI position or policy. CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES Office of Technology 1 ,!;sment ' 4T Washington, D, C. 20510 2 Office of Technoiogy Assessmen; Congressional Board of the 99th Congrriss TED STEVENS, Alaska, Chairman MORRIS K. UDALL, Arizona, Vice Chairman Senate House ORRIN G. HATCH GEORGE E. BROWN, JR. Utah California CHARLES McC. MATHIAS, J. JOHN D. DINGELL Maryland Michigan EDWARD M. KENNEDY CLARENCE E. MILLER Massachusetts Ohio ERNEST F. HOLLINGS COOPER EVANS South Carolina Iowa CLAIBORNE PELL DON SUNDQUIST Rhode Island Tennessee JOHN H. GIBBONS (Nonvoting) Advisory Council WILLIAM J. PERRY, Chairman CLAIRE T. DEDRICK RACHEL McCULLOCH H&Q Technology Partners California Land Commission University of Wisconsin DAVID S. POTTER, Vice Chairman S. DAVID FREEMAN CHASE N. PEI ERSON General Motors Corp. (Ret.) Lower Colorado River Authority University of Utah EARL BEISTL1NE MICHEL T. HALBOUTY JOSEPH E. ROSS Consultant Michel T. Halbouty Energy Co. Congressional Research Service CHARLES A. BOWSHER CARL N. HODGES LEWIS THOMAS General Accounting Office University of Arizona Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Director JOHN H. GIBBONS The Technology A!sessment Board approves the release of this repoit. The views expressed in this report are not neces>:ayily those of the Board, OTA Advisory Council, or individual members thereof. 3 Recommended Citation: U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Technoiogies for Prehistoric and Historic Preservation, OTA-E-319 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, September 1986). Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 86-600574 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 4 Foreword Archaeological remains and historic structures and landscapes are important tan- gible reminders of this Nation's rich and diverse cultural heritage. They provide a sense of our past and contribute in other ways to our quality of life. Yet, in recent years, the result primarily of population shifts, urban growth, and _nergy development, the stresses on these unique, nonrenewable cultural resources have increased dramat- ically. As this assessment makes clear, the appropriate use of a wide variety of preser- vation technologies, many of which were originally developed for applications in natural science and engireering, could reduce many of these stresse- This report presents the primary findings of an assessment recit.sted by the House Committee on Interior'and Insular Affairs. The Subcommittee on Public Lands is carry- ing out a major review of how Federal agencies implement Federal preservation pol- icy. This assessment directly supports the Committee's review by showing how the uses of certain methods, techniques, as well as tools and equipment can assist Feder- al, State, and local preservation efforts. The assessment takes the unusual step of focusing on the applications of preserva- tion technologies rather than preservation disciplines. It examines the current use of preservation technologies and identifies research and development needs. It also ex- plores how improvements in Federal policy and implementation can facilitate the more effective use of technologies appropriate for managing this country's prehistoric and historic cultural resources. In undertaking this assessment, OTA sought the contributi )ns of a wide spectrum of knowledgeable and interested individuals. Some provided information and guidance, others reviewed drafts of the report. OTA gratefully acknowledges their contributions of time and intellectual effort. OTA also appreciates the timely help rendered by a num- ber of individuals from the National Park Service. JOHN H. GIBBONS Director 5 I ii Review Pan& Robert Baboian John H. Myers Corrosion Laboratory College of Architecture Texas Instruments Georgia i nstitute ui Tech nology Attleboro, MA Atlanta, GA Carole L. Crum ley Patricia O'DonneH Department of Anthropology Waimsley & Co. University of North Carolina New York, NY Chapel Hill, NC Mimi RodA.1 Hiroshi Daifuku Carson City, NV Historic Preservation Consultant Reynold Ruppe Washington, DC Department of Anthropology James Ebert Arizona State University Ebert & Associates Tempe, AZ Albuquerque, NM Susan E. Schur Joel Grossman Technology and Conservation Grossman & Associates, Inc. Boston, MA New York, NY Thomas Spiers Robe,t Harvey Benatec Associates Department of Landscape Architecture Harrisburg, PA Iowa State University M. Jane Young Ames, IA Department of Anthropology Ruthann Knudson University of Texas Woodward-Clyde Consultants Austin, TX Walnut Creek, CA Charles Mazel Klein Associates Salem, NH NOTE: OTA appreciates and is grateful for the valuable assistance and thoughtful critiques provided by the review panel and workshop participants. The oanel and workshops do not, however, necessarily approve, disapprove, or endorse this report. OTA assumes full responsibility ior the report and the accuracy of its contents. Iv 6 OTA Project Staff on Prehistoric and Historic Preservation Lionel S. Johns, Assistant Director, OTA Energy, Materials, and International Security Division Peter D. Blair, Energy and Materials Program Manager Richard E. Rowberg, Energy and Materials Program Manager until December 1985 Ray Williamson, Project Director Mary Lee Jefferson, Analyst Janne lle Warren-Findley, Contractor Administrative Staff lian Chapman Linda Long 7 Workshop Participants Techne!ogies for the Preservation of Archaeological Sites and Structures, Dec. 3-4, 1985 Dena Dincauze, Chair Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA Annetta Cheek Mark Leone Thomas Sever Archeology Assistance Division Department of Anthropology National Aeronautics and Space Office of Surface Mining University of Maryland Administration Washington, DC College Park, MD National Space Technology Laboratories Bay St. Louis, MS James Ebert Charles Pearson Ebert & Associates Coastal Environments, Inc. R.E. Taylor Albuquerque, NM Baton Rouge, LA Department of Anthropology University of California Jeffrey Eighmy G.R. Rapp, Jr. Riverside, CA Department of Anthropology College of Science and Engineering Colorado State Univesity University of Minnesota Leslie Wildesen Fort Collins, CO Duluth, MN Colorado Heritage Center State Historic Preservation Office James Judge Joseph Schuldenrein Denver, CO Fort Burgwin Research Center Commonwealth Associates Southern Methodist University Jackson, MI Dallas, TX Timothy Kohler Department of Anthropology Washington .S'ate University Pullman, WA Technologies for the Preservation of Historic Structures, Jan. 28-29, 1986 James Marston Fitch, Chair Department of Historic Preservation, Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, New York, NY Terry Amburgey Tomas H. Spiers John rl. Myers Forest Products Laboratory Benatec Associates Center for Architectural Conservation Mississippi