THE EFFICACY OF SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE SURVEY TECHNIQUES: A CASE STUDY FROM LOUDOUN COUNTY, VIRGINIA

Abstract

The importance of the site discovery process in archaeological research should not be underestimated. The primary function of an archaeological site discovery survey is to locate, identify and to some degree evaluate the horizontal extent of buried cultural resources (King 1998; Neuman and Sanford 2001, 2010). This thesis examines the effectiveness of archaeological surface and subsurface survey techniques commonly used in the Mid-Atlantic Region of eastern North America. The present work uses a cultural resource management archaeological site discovery survey conducted in 2004 on a 549-acre property located in Loudoun County, Virginia as a case study. The variety of environments, resources and methods employed during this site discovery survey present a unique opportunity to analyze a variety of survey techniques. Specifically, point provenience surface collection, gridded surface collection, shovel testing and close-interval shovel testing are examined. This thesis reveals several key findings. First, all forms of survey technique have benefits and limitations, based on levels of intensity and survey environment. Second, survey objectives, survey environment and logistics all play a part in the decision process for choosing an appropriate survey technique. Third, state guidelines, while an influencing stricture born out of a rich intellectual tradition, should not solely dictate the survey process. Fourth, the use of a variety of complementary techniques is vital to thoroughness in the archaeological process, and, finally, it is necessary to repeatedly investigate and monitor a landscape whenever possible.