Experimental Study of Local Fire Conditions and Effects on Surface or Near-Surface Archeological Resources at National Park Service Units - Midwest Region

Today, park managers must routinely balance the restoration needs of natural resources with the preservation of cultural resources. This project was designed to provide park managers with scientific data on the impacts from wildland fire to archeological resources at National Park Service units in the Midwest Region. Experimental research was conducted at six parks to record data on fire conditions (i.e., fuels, fire temperature, and burn duration) and the impacts on multiple classes of archeological materials routinely observed at sites within the region. The experimental study of fire conditions in different regional environments addresses questions regarding the threats or non-threats to multiple archeological resource types. By gaining a more thorough understanding of the fire/archeology interface at select parks in different ecosystems, park managers will be able to more effectively coordinate the needs of natural resource management with archeological resource preservation.