City Archaeology Program

At the urging of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the position of City Archaeologist was created in 1983 as part of the Boston Landmarks Commission to protect Boston's archaeological resources. A summary of Federal Laws protecting archaeological sites are as follows: Antiquities Act of 1906 (16 U.S.C. 431-33), Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (16 U.S.C. 470aa-mm), Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987 (43 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.), Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (25 U.S.C. 3001-3013), American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 1996), Department of Transportation Act of 1966 (23 U.S.C. 138, 49 U.S.C. 1651-1659), Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (49 U.S.C. 101 et seq.), National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended (42 U.S.C. 5300 et seq.), and Section 170(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Qualified Conservation Contributions) and the Section 106 process as procedures for the "Protection of Historic and Cultural Properties," with 36 C.F.R. Pt. 800 as the heart of Section 106. Three other important laws are M.G.L. C.9 ss.26-27C (Massachusetts Historical Commission and State Archaeologist powers and duties), 950 Code Mass. Regs. 70.00 (State Archaeologist's permit regulations, including professional qualifications and standards for investigations and reporting; a permit is required for archaeological investigations on any public lands and lands in which the Commonwealth has "an interest," such as those with Conservation or Preservation Restrictions, or private land being evaluated by local, state, or federal governments for proposed land modification projects), and M.G.L. c.40C (local historical commission powers and duties, including provisions that archaeological records are "not a public record" and not subject to Freedom of Information Act disclosure on demand to prevent looting).

Today, the Environment Department's City Archaeologist manages the archaeological remains located on public land in Boston, and over 27 collections of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts held by the City. The City Archaeologist is also committed to public outreach and education in archaeology for Boston city schoolchildren and the public.

The City Archaeology Program offers a number of opportunities for the public to experience Boston's archaeological legacy. The 4,000-square-foot City Archaeology Laboratory, Education, and Curation Center is located in the North End in the brick, gold-domed building between the entrance to the Callahan Tunnel and the exit of the Sumner Tunnel, just 200 feet west of the Freedom Trail. At present, the lab is open Monday through Friday by appointment, and on weekends for special events. During the last year, thousands of visitors toured the lab and viewed the collections. Other activities offered by the City Archaeology Program include a hands-on artifact type collection, an artifact washing and processing station, an experimental Native American ceramic workshop, a simulated dig box, and many other stations.

The City Archaeology Program is staffed entirely by volunteers. Many of these volunteers are Boston schoolchildren enlisted through their participation in archaeological workshops offered by the City Archaeology Program. Other volunteers include graduate students from local institutions, home-schoolers, teachers, interested citizens, and members of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society. Excavation opportunities in the Boston area allow volunteers to participate in digging at an archaeological site.