Archeological Sites and Cemeteries Toolkit

The Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT), the Health and Safety Code and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) establish the environmental compliance obligations regarding archeological sites and cemeteries. Local governments, consultants and TxDOT staff use the following tools to comply with these requirements.

For more information, contact the supervisor of the Archeological Studies Branch, Environmental Affairs Division at (512) 416-2631.

You may download the software (Tools and Plug-Ins) needed to access forms or view frequently asked questions (Online Forms FAQs).

Title	Date	Description	Format
Environmental Handbook for Archeological Sites and Cemeteries	11/14	Outlines the steps to comply with the NHPA, ACT and Health and Safety Code for archeological sites and cemeteries
Potential Archeological Liability Maps (PALMs)		Lists TxDOT-developed ArcGIS maps functioning as geoarcheological predictive models to aid in transportation planning and cultural resource compliance

Project Review Tools

Title	Date	Description	Format
Review Standard for Archeological Background Studies	05/11	Used to evaluate and communicate comments on a background study report that identifies whether archeological fieldwork is necessary for the project
Review Standard for Antiquities Permit Applications	04/20	Used to evaluate and communicate comments on an Antiquities Permit application for submission to the Texas Historical Commission (THC)
Review Standard for Archeological Survey Reports	05/11	Used to evaluate and communicate comments on an archeological survey report
Review Standard for Interim Testing Reports	05/11	Used to evaluate and communicate comments on an interim report of archeological test excavations to address site eligibility and project effects
List of Projects That Do Not Require Review or Coordination for Archeological Compliance	12/15	Identifies the project types that do not require review or coordination for compliance with laws and regulations regarding archeological sites. The guidance comes from existing TxDOT agreements with regulatory agencies.

Project Deliverable Tools

Title	Date	Description	Format
Template for Archeological Background Studies	09/20	Used to complete the "Perform Archeological Background Study" Activity in ECOS
Template for Archeological Survey Report	04/20	Used to complete the "Perform Archeology Study" Activity in ECOS

Agreements and Memorandum of Understanding

Title	Date	Description	Format
TxDOT-THC Memorandum of Understanding	02/13	Defines the process for coordinating projects between TxDOT and THC in compliance with the Antiquities Code of Texas, but it is not applicable to projects where governments coordinate directly with THC
Tonkawa Tribe Programmatic Agreement	06/02	Establishes the tribe-specific Section 106 process for projects with FHWA funding or required FHWA approval