Geoarchaeology at the Osotuoy Unit – ARPO

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service (NPS) intention to fund a Task Agreement against an existing Master Agreement. Cooperative Agreement Number P13AC00772 was entered into by and between the Department of the Interior, NPS and Indianan University for the purpose of developing adequate, coordinated, cooperative research and training activities concerning the resources of the National Park System. Task Agreement P16AC00232 original agreement was for $24,996.00 and a modification to add additional funding in the amount of $11,140.00 is required to fund the current project activities. STATEMENT OF WORK: This project will produce baseline information about a fundamental resource of the Arkansas Post National Memorial. Baseline documentation is necessary to for NPS to carry out objectives outlined in Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act. These data will provide for the interpretation and management of the resource. Scientists will sample several earth works at the Menard-Hodges Mound Group (Osotuoy Unit) using a mechanized soil coring machine. Soil cores will be described, analyzed, and subsampled for materials that may provide chronological and environmental information about the age and context of the earthworks construction and use. Viable organic samples will be submitted for radiocarbon dating. Sediments from fill contexts may be analyzed for fossil pollen. The mounds will also be surveyed using ground penetrating radar to identify particular constructional and use features. The Recipient agrees to: (1) Sample earthworks at the Osotuoy Unit (minimally Mounds A and B, other locations dependent upon access). Sampling will be done using a geoprobe DT22 sampling system which extracts soil cores. Cores will penetrate from the current mounds surface into non-cultural contexts beneath the mounds. It is estimated that 12 cores ranging from 4 to 10 meters would be required to sufficiently sample Mounds A and B; (2) Describe and interpret soil cores using standard geoarcheological terminology; (3) Extract samples for dating from viable contexts and submit samples to appropriate laboratories; (4) Provide ground penetrating radar of the appropriate type to identify internal structural features of the mounds, operate the equipment in a manner that will provide optimal results, and interpret the data to understand the construction process involved in the mound’s creation; (5) Produce a final written report that details the research questions, methods used, findings and results, and conclusions; (6) Provide all project records (e.g., field notes, maps, photographs, analysis data) to NPS for curation. The NPS agrees to: (1) Coordinate for access to the site; (2) Consult on and participate in the fieldwork and data collection at the mound site; and (3) Consult on sample selection and results of any specialized analysis.

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