Making Urban Archaeology Municipal: Mapping Archaeological Sensitivity in Richmond, Virginia

Summary

In the wake of a 2014 city proposal to construct a baseball stadium in the heart of Richmond’s historic slave trading district, the archaeological and historical importance of Virginia’s capitol is receiving unprecedented national, regional, and local attention. This has resulted in increased public and governmental pressure to perform excavations within the city, plan interpretive projects, enhance archaeological protections, and educate the public about their shared archaeological resources. All these objectives are currently stymied by the historical and current lack of any cohesive archaeological planning within the city. This research presents the synthesis of cultural resource management projects, avocational surveys, historic documents, a 1985 planning survey, and environmental data to create sensitivity maps that can be integrated into the city’s Master Plan. This model could be used in other American cities to raise awareness of archaeological sensitivity within city government and provide a basis for future city projects and conversations.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeology And The Urban Landscape   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 783