Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey and Soils Inspection of Hanscom Air Force Base, Bedford, Lexington, and Lincoln, Massachusetts

Summary

In November 1991, The Public Archaeology Laboratory, Inc., under contract with The Benham Group, Inc., conducted a historic and prehistoric archaeological reconnaissance survey and soils inspection of Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Lexington, and Lincoln, Massachusetts.

The reconnaissance survey included extensive background research, walkover survey, and limited subsurface testing. The major goal of this effort was to locate areas of intact soils and assess their potential for containing undisturbed cultural deposits. The end product of the reconnaissance was the ordering of the project area into zones of high, moderate, and low archaeological sensitivity. A total of forty (40) auger cores and nine (9) test pits was excavated to examine soils. It was determined that the Hanscom Air Force Base project area contained a number of areas of high to moderate archaeological sensitivity, as well as many areas of low sensitivity. A possible prehistoric site or natural charcoal Iens was identified during the subsurface exploration (AT 28) near the MIT Lincoln Laboratory facilities. The potential for sites associated with the events of April 19, 1775 also exists within the project area, primarily in southern portions. Additionally, the fifteen oldest buildings/structures on Hanscom Air Force Base were identified.

It is recommended that any future development or construction planned within areas of moderate to high archaeological sensitivity, or in the immediate vicinity of identified historic or prehistoric resources, include provisions for intensive archaeological surveys of proposed facility locations. It also is recommended that procedures be established to assess the significance under criteria of the National Register of Historic Places of buildings as they reach the age of 50 years, and to apply those procedures to buildings of any age that are obviously significant and to buildings 40 years old or older if removal or major alteration is planned.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Hanscom Air Force Base Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management Archive

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Hanscom Air Force Base

Contributor(s): Virginia H. Adams; James M. Briscoe

Principal Investigator(s): Marsha K. King; Stanley D. Bussey

Prepared By(s): The Public Archaeology Laboratory, Inc.

Submitted To(s): The Benham Group, Inc.

Record Identifiers

PAL Report No.(s): 445

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