What is archaeology?
Archaeology is the study of the ancient and recent human past through material remains. It is a subfield of anthropology, the study of all human culture.
Archaeological resources vary greatly in their nature, content, context, and extent and are non-renewable. From 14,000 year-old material remains of our earliest human ancestors in central Oregon to the remains of 20th century buildings in Portland, archaeology analyzes the physical remains of the past in pursuit of a broad and comprehensive understanding of human culture.
What services do archaeological staff provide?
ODOT’s archaeological staff identify and evaluate archaeological resources and develop appropriate avoidance, minimization or mitigation measures on a case-by-case basis.
ODOT archaeologists work statewide as part of project development teams and are responsible for taking into account the effects of ODOT projects on archaeological resources.