Archeology Series No. 170: Hurricane Sandy Type I Emergency Repairs Corn Neck Road and Spring Street, New Shoreham, R.I., 2012-2015

On November 6, 2012, representatives of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) and the Narragansett Indian Tribal Historic Preservation Office (NITHPO) visited Block Island to inspect storm damage and determine if planned roadway repairs had the potential to affect significant archaeological deposits that may be potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). The Crescent Beach pre-Contact Native American archaeological site (state assigned designation RI 2555) was identified beneath Corn Neck Road at this time.

Archaeological materials were also observed eroding out of the ground surfaces exposed beneath Spring Street during the field visit (Figure 1-4). RIHPHC and NITHPO concluded that the proposed roadway repairs could adversely affect the Crescent Beach Site and additional archaeological deposits contained within the Corn Neck Road and Spring Street repair areas. Accordingly, RIDOT requested that PAL conduct emergency archaeological recovery of the exposed portion of the Crescent Beach Site before the initiation of construction and monitor ground disturbing construction activities during the course of repairs to both Corn Neck Road and Spring Street. Archaeological fieldwork and monitoring for the project was completed on December 7, 2012, under archaeological permit No. 12-21 issued by the RIHPHC on November 9, 2012, and in consultation with RIHPHC, RIDOT, and FHWA.

The objective of the archaeological investigations at the Emergency Repairs work areas was to recover, assess, and evaluate archaeological materials exposed at the Crescent Beach Site following Hurricane Sandy and to monitor roadway repairs and provide consultation services in the event that additional archaeological deposits were exposed during project construction. Cultural resources services were conducted in compliance with relevant federal and state regulations and to ensure compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (36 CFR Part 800). All tasks associated with this project were undertaken in accordance with the Secretary of Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation (48 FR 44716 1983), the RIHPHC's Performance Standards and Guidelines for Archaeological Projects (2007), and the Narragansett Indian Archeological/Anthropological Committee's Standards and Guidelines for Archeological Survey (1994).