The Kentucky Heritage Council's Site Protection Program coordinates the federally mandated protection of historic properties listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and the professional archaeology component for the agency, including:
Annual Archaeology Conference
The 30th Annual Kentucky Heritage Council Archaeology Conference [PDF - 293KB] will take place March 15-17 at at the Crowne Plaza/Campbell House Inn in Lexington, coordinated by KHC’s Site Protection Program. The conference is the primary opportunity for professional archaeologists working in Kentucky to share research, project updates and important findings from their investigations of historic and prehistoric archaeological sites across the state.
To mark the anniversary, a panel of leading professionals will discuss key contributions of Kentucky archaeology over the last three decades with regard to legislation, methods, and regional studies including prehistoric and early historic chronology, settlement, subsistence and material culture studies. Trends will also be explored in public- and education-oriented archaeology, technological advances in the discipline, and cultural resource management.
Activities will include a public archaeological tour of Ashland: The Henry Clay Estate and one of the Mount Horeb Earthworks.
The conference is co-sponsored by the Kentucky Archaeological Survey, a joint program of KHC and the University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology; Preservation Kentucky Inc.; the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation; the Kentucky Organization of Professional Archaeologists; and several private consulting firms.
For questions, email Kary Stackelbeck or call 502-564-7005, ext. 147.
Environmental Review
Section 106 Environmental Review (As outlined in Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s Rules and Regulations for the Protection of Historic Properties, 36 CFR, Part 800): These federal regulations require the review of all federally funded, licensed or permitted projects by the State Historic Preservation Office to determine their effect on and potential threats to historic properties in Kentucky. In the review process, staff work in partnership with businesses, consultants, the public and state and federal agencies.
Archaeology
Archaeological Inventory: Program staff manage a comprehensive statewide inventory of prehistoric and archaeological sites in partnership with the University of Kentucky.
The Archaeology of Kentucky: An Update: In 1990, the Kentucky Heritage Council published The Archaeology of Kentucky: Past Accomplishments and Future Directions. This two volume set provided a context for conducting Section 106 archaeological investigations as well as research conducted in Kentucky.
Publications and Videos: Public education efforts include a series of short documentaries produced by the Heritage Council that blend interviews, rare archival images, artifacts and highlights from examining Native American sites in Kentucky.
Kentucky Archaeological Survey: A partnership between the Kentucky Heritage Council and the University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology, the Kentucky Archaeological Survey provides archaeological services and educational programs to public and private agencies to assist with the preservation of historic sites.