The Newfoundland
M U S E U M		 Archaeology and Ethnology Pages

 
 

Clay Pottle, photo by E. Anton



 

Resources for
Archaeologists working within the Province



Page Contents


What do I need in order to conduct an archaeological investigation in Newfoundland and Labrador?
 

In order to conduct an archaeological investigation in the Province, whether it's an excavation, survey, or Historic Resources Impact Assessment, you need to get a permit issued by the Provincial Archaeology Office.

Permits are assigned on a project by project basis and are valid only in the specific area, and during the specific time, that is indicated on the permit. Permit applications are available from the Provincial Archaeology Office, or can be printed directly from these web pages (see next section).

The permit holder is responsible for: 1) employing proper excavation techniques, 2) providing progress and final reports, 3) restoring the site to its original condition, and, 4) delivering all of the archaeological artifacts found in the course of the investigation, into the care of the Provincial Archaeology Office.

The permit allows the researcher to enter Crown Lands for the purpose of conducting the investigation, but it does not entitle the holder to enter private property without the landowner's permission. The permit also makes the researcher responsible for any damage to private property done in the course of the investigation.

For further information on archaeological permits check the:
 

Historic Resources Act
Archaeological Investigation Permit Regulations

 
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What are the steps involved in obtaining an Archaeological Research Permit?
The first step is to get a permit application. These are available from the Provincial Archaeology Office, or you can print a copy directly from these web pages.

Be sure that you get the right application. If you are a student or researcher, you will need the Research Permit Application. However, if you are a consultant, and this is an impact assessment, you will need the Historic Resources Impact Assessment Permit Application.

The application must be submitted by the individual who is responsible for all scientific aspects of the research, both in the field and in the laboratory. It must be received by the Provincial Archaeology Office no later than one month (20 working days) before the project begins.

Along with your application you will need to provide:
 

a) a current resume including your educational background, any relevant scientific publications to your credit, all institutions that you have been attached to since the completion of your post-graduate studies, your status at each institution, and any experience you have had that is pertinent to the proposed project; or evidence of qualifications equivalent to the above.

b) documentation demonstrating that:

  • you have written a post graduate thesis in archaeology or anthropology and have been awarded a graduate degree in archaeology or anthropology.
  • you have had at least 24 weeks of supervised training in the field in basic research techniques in archaeological surveying and excavation, and at least 6 weeks of training in archaeological laboratory analysis and/or archaeological curating.
  • you have the capacity to design and execute a relevant study comparable in scope and quality to the project described in the permit application.
If you are a student enrolled in a postgraduate university program, you may not have all of these qualifications on your own, but you may have your thesis advisor (or some other qualified person) sponsor you. Your sponsor will review the methodology you propose to use, visit you in the field (after the project has begun, but not after it is more than one-third complete), and provide the Provincial Archaeology Office with a report, within 30 days of the visit, in order to update that office on the progress of your project. To apply, you must use the standard Research Permit Application, which both you and your sponsor must sign. By co-signing, you and your sponsor become jointly responsible for fulfilling the conditions of the permit.

Return your completed application to the Provincial Archaeology Office.


 
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How do I apply for funding?
In recent years the Provincial Archaeology Office has had a budget of $10,000 which it splits between successful applicants.

The first thing you need, to be eligible for this money, is an Archaeological Research Permit. You may submit your permit application and your grant application together. Applications are available from the PAO, or you can print a copy directly from these web pages (8 1/2 x 11 paper).

The funding provided through the Provincial Archaeology Office may be used for most expenses incurred during field work and post field work analysis, but it may not be used for salaries. In the past the bulk of the funding has gone towards graduate student projects.


 
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What is the difference between the Provincial Archaeology Office and the Newfoundland Museum?
The Provincial Archaeology Office, and the Archaeology and Ethnology section at the Newfoundland Museum, are complimentary halves of a body which is responsible for the management of historic resources within the Province. Both agencies have personnel and resources that can assist you with your research in the Province.

The Provincial Archaeology Office (PAO), of the Culture and Heritage Division, aids the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation in protecting, preserving, developing, studying, interpreting and promoting the appreciation of the historic resources of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Its staff are the people who have their fingers on the pulse of archaeology within the Province. They issue permits, receive artifacts and reports, and assign Borden numbers. They also have a small budget for grant money.

The PAO is located in the West Block of the Confederation Building, in St. John's. It has a map and literature library which contains reports and theses from the very beginning of archaeology in the Province.

Artifacts are not permanently curated by the PAO; that is the responsibility of the Newfoundland Museum. However, all artifacts are first received and processed by the PAO, which then passes them on to the Museum.

The Newfoundland Museum was set up to "collect, catalogue, conserve, preserve, study and exhibit historic resources, whether or not of the province" and to "enlighten and educate the people of the province and the people of Canada respecting [these] historic resources ..."

The Archaeology and Ethnology Unit is the curatorial wing of archaeology in the Province, and is the provincial storehouse for archaeological artifacts. The Curator of Archaeology and Ethnology, or one of the assistants or volunteers, can help you sort through and research the collections.

The museum lends artifacts for exhibits to, and receives exhibits from, other institutions both inside and outside of the Province.


 
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How do I record and report an Archaeological site?
If you discover a new site while you are carrying out the work under permit you should report it to the resource archaeologist at the Provincial Archaeology Office within 30 days. If the site is threatened, you should report it within 48 hours. It is a good idea to keep in touch with the PAO while you are in the field and call in the UTM's, or latitudes and longitudes, of new sites you have found. If you have that information ready, the PAO can usually assign the sites' Borden numbers the same day.

If you are issued a permit, the resource archaeologist may request that you relocate sites previously known from within your study area, and report any changes in their condition. If this request is made, you will have up to 90 days to make your report, unless the site is threatened, in which case you should report the fact within 48 hours.

Prior to heading into the field, you should obtain a supply of Site Record Forms, and any other forms required, from the PAO. If you intend to use substitutes for the forms the Province provides, submit copies of them along with your permit application for approval.

One of the first things you should do when you get back from the field is submit your Site Record forms for all of the new sites you have found, and all of the known sites you have revisited. These should be submitted to the PAO within 30 days of the expiration of your permit, along with 1:50,000 scale topographic maps showing the locations of the sites, all the areas surveyed and the techniques employed.

Remember that a number of permits are issued each year and that there are hundreds of archaeological sites within the Province, so it is important to standardize the information coming into the Provincial Archaeology Office as much as possible. It saves a lot of headaches, and will help you out in the long run, if you first familiarize yourself with the User Guide for Completing the Archaeological Site Record Form.


 
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What if this is an ongoing project - do I have to fill out a Site Record form every year?
Yes. It is required by the Historic Resources Act to supplement the annual report and provide a synopsis of each year's activities in the field.

 
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How do I catalog artifacts? Can I use computer files?
The Province has standardized forms called Archaeological Specimens Record Forms (8 1/2 x 14 paper) which must be filled out for each artifact. This procedure ensures that a basic suite of characteristics is recorded for every artifact found in the Province.

A database file containing the same information is also acceptable, but you should check with the PAO first to ensure the the database program you wish to use, and the data fields you wish to enter, are compatable with Newfoundland Museum's cataloguing software.

When creating specimen records, you must follow a specific set of data entry rules. It is important to familiarize yourself with the Archaeological Specimens Record Key.


 
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What about conservation?
Newfoundland is unique in Canada, and perhaps in the world, for its dedication to conserving archaeological objects.

All artifacts recovered within Newfoundland and Labrador must be conserved, and it is the responsibility of the permit holder to arrange for their conservation. Every permit application must include the name of a professional conservator, and be accompanied by that conservator's current resume, listing educational background, employment experience, and relevant scientific publications, as well as any specific experience relevant to the project.

In your permit application you must demonstrate that adequate budgeting has been allocated for conservation, and that adequate facilities are available.

You will need to find a conservator, approved by the Provincial Archaeology Office, who will assume full responsibility for the conservation of your archaeological objects. This conservator must examine all of the artifacts recovered and provide the PAO with all examination records. When treatment is necessary, you must provide the PAO with detailed treatment records.

Treatment records must be signed and dated by the conservator and must include:

a) site name;
b) Borden, specimen and permit numbers;
c) name, description, material(s) and condition of the archaeological object
d) details of treatment, including treatment proposal, materials used and methods and techniques employed during treatment.

For more information on conservation requirements, check the Archaeological Investigation Permit Regulations.


 
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When do I submit reports and what should they contain?
It is essential that archaeologists report their work, since they are in breach of the Historic Resources Act if they do not. Archaeological work is pointless if sites located, or excavated, are not reported.

The Historic Resources Act and the Archaeological Investigation Permit Regulations outline the contents and scheduling of the reports required by the Provincial Archaeology Office. An interim report and project report are required for each permit or year of research at a multi-year project. Multi-year projects require a final report at the end of the project. (Of course, any additional publishing of information gathered is encouraged, but please send a copy to the PAO for the reference library.)

1) Interim Report: Six months (180 days) after a project is completed the PAO requires that a typewritten interim report be submitted, outlining activities carried out under the permit, for inclusion in the annual report publication series.

2) Forms and Photos: Six months (180 days) after a project is completed the PAO requires that the following items be submitted:

3) Project Report: Within one year (365 days) of the expiration of the permit, a type-written project report must be submitted to the PAO. This report must: [Other publications or theses produced from the research conducted during the permit may be submitted to the resource archaeologist for consideration in lieu of a project report.]

4) Final Report: In the case of a multi-year project, a final report (in addition to regular yearly project reports) must be submitted to the PAO within 2 years of the expiration of the final permit. This final report should address all of the same information included in each project report, but from the perspective of the project completed in its entirety.

For additional information on the reporting of archaeological projects to the Provincial Archaeology Office, check the guidelines in the Archaeological Investigation Permit Regulations


 
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Permit Deadlines

  
To Do: Deadline: Description:
Permit Application 1 month (20 working days) before project begins
  • required for conducting archaeological work
Report New Sites within 30 days of discovery
or
within 48 hours if the site is threatened 
  • provide map, and location information (NAD, UTMS or Latitude and Longitude)
Site Record Forms within 30 days of permit expiration
  • fill in all information as required
Interim Report within 180 days
  • preliminary summary of fieldwork
Forms within 180 days
  • completed historic sites branch archaeological record forms
  • sample of black and white prints and color slides
  • detailed plans of each site
  • vertical sectional drawings of each site
Project Report 
(all projects)		 within 365 days
  • description of fieldwork and each site
  • methodology
  • environment and culture history
  • current status of sites
  • significance of sites
  • results of investigation
Final Report
(for multi-year projects)		 2 years
  • summary of project in its entirety
Artifacts & Records within 2 years
  • artifacts
  • specimen record forms
  • artifact treatment records

 
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Online References and Forms
For more detailed answers to these questions and to answer those not covered in this FAQ, you may wish to consult the following references:

 
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