Phase I archaeological survey finds limited deposits; report submitted to state, tribe notified

Jay Wohler of the Public Archaeology Laboratory presented the results of a Phase I site identification archaeological survey for the proposed middle school project. Fieldwork covered the building footprint and nearby site areas, including athletics fields. Testing used distributed hand test pits across the impact area and found much of the site previously disturbed by prior school construction and athletic‑field maintenance.

Wohler reported a few localized areas with intact remnant soils containing nineteenth‑ and twentieth‑century agricultural artifacts (glass, pottery sherds, machine‑cut nails). He said the team found a very small locus — about 10 feet in diameter — containing a limited number of lithic flakes (stone tool manufacturing waste) indicating Native American activity at a very small scale. In Powell's (the consultant's) professional opinion, the materials recovered do not meet the federal or state criteria for listing on the National Register or state equivalency.

The consultant has submitted a draft report to Perkins Eastman and the town and filed it with the State Historic Preservation Office for review; the state has up to 30 days to comment but the consultant said a response may arrive within days. Wohler also said the Narragansett Indian Tribe was notified as a permit condition and tribal members joined field work for part of the survey.

Wohler cautioned that archeological site location maps are exempt from public records disclosure under FOIA because they could enable looting; he recommended redacting a particular map that shows sensitive intact sites before posting the report publicly. The team will wait for any state review comments, produce a final report addressing state feedback, and redact sensitive map content before broader release.