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Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center

Excavating

 

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Contract Services

Excavation

Contract Services

Contract services for Cultural Resource Management needs
Quality service in Timely fashion at Reasonable cost

Compliance
Section 106, ARPA, NAGPRA, CFR Part 79, MOU’s, DRP’s… Federal, state and local regulations pertaining to cultural resources can be confounding. With over 25 years of experience and nearly 700 completed projects in the Upper Midwest, MVAC can facilitate and solve your Cultural Resource Management requirements. We assist all levels of government agencies as well as private engineering firms and developers, and residential customers.  In fact, we have trained regulatory personnel in understanding their own guidelines. We customize our services to your specific needs, ensuring regulatory compliance and project progression. Give us a call at 608-785-8451 (Katherine Stevenson) or 608-785-6475 (Vicki Twinde-Javner) and we will walk you through the steps involved.

Planning
Cultural Resources Management Services:

  • Evaluation of CRM needs

  • Coordination with federal, state, and local agencies and tribal groups

  • Integration with GIS and other planning tools

  • Preparation of National Register nominations and planning documents  

Project Implementation
Prehistoric and Historic Archaeology:

  • Literature and records review

  • Field work:
    Phase I survey to establish the presence or absence of archaeological sites
    Phase II evaluation to determine eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places
    Phase III excavation to recover data in advance of construction

  • Laboratory analysis and data management

  • Cartography and GIS data integration

  • Report preparation, submission, and follow‑through

  • Permanent artifact curation in federally approved facility

Environmental Archaeology, Geoarchaeology, and Geomorphology:

  • Detection and analysis of buried sites

  • Soil coring and analysis

  • Paleo‑landscape reconstruction and other environmental studies

  • Analysis of plant and animal remains

Historic Preservation Services:

  • Historic Structures Reports

  • Historical Research

  • Historic Properties Survey - Section 106

Public Outreach

Many Phase III projects require an outreach component in order to share the information gained with the public. People are fascinated by the previous inhabitants of their area, and we have a national reputation for making archaeology inviting and exciting! MVAC is one of the only firms in the Upper Midwest that produces exhibits, public talks, school programs, and interpretive information. Our public outreach products are of exceptional quality, always benefiting the regional heritage tourism industry.

 

Reputation for Excellence

Cultural Resource Management Services in:

  • Archaeology

  • Architectural History

  • Geomorphology

  • Historical Archaeology

  • Public Education

We finish the project on time, within budget, with satisfied clients that utilize us again and again. We have a skilled and flexible staff, and an extensive equipment reserve. With our help, your project will be completed in a reasonable time frame. We are ready to meet your needs.

 

Competitive Cost

We have a solid history of successful contract bidding. Since we specialize in the archaeology and history of the Upper Midwest, we know what to look for. Our central location minimizes travel costs, making us the cost effective choice.

 

Technology

MVAC has expanded its headquarters into an 8000 square foot Archaeology Center and Laboratory, allowing us to remain at the forefront of technological innovations.

  • State of the art computers and field and laboratory equipment for data collection, analysis, graphics production, and report presentation. Programs include a variety of word processing, graphics, statistical and web production.

  • In‑house experts in specialized studies such as stone tools, ceramics, archaeobotany, archaeozoology, geomorphology and sediment analysis. This means prompt and efficient work, and better project management and integration.

  • MVAC also maintains an extensive type collection of artifacts, faunal, floral, and lithic specimens for efficiently carrying out studies of past environments, subsistence data, and exchange patterns.

  • The laboratory and curation facility provide resources for processing and analysis of artifacts, preservation and long‑term curation for its extensive collection of archaeological and historic Midwestern artifacts.

  • MVAC serves as a regional repository for artifacts and records, and provides curation facilities for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-State of Wisconsin; the Ho-Chunk Nation; the Department of the Defense-Fort McCoy; the US. Army Corps of Engineers – St. Paul District; and other private and state agencies.

  • MVAC has an extensive library of archaeological, historic, and cultural resource management books, reports, and maps with an emphasis on the Upper Midwest. In addition, the collections of Murphy Library on the University of Wisconsin ‑ La Crosse campus are readily accessible. Murphy Library's Area Research Center maintains an extensive collection of archival resources, rare historic publications, maps, manuscripts, and photographs dealing with the history of western Wisconsin and the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Collections of all other major libraries are available via interlibrary loan.

  • MVAC maintains a direct link to the digitized Wisconsin Archeological Site Inventory and Wisconsin Architectural History Inventory; the database of the Wisconsin Historical Society, providing immediate and current information on all reported sites and previously surveyed areas.  MVAC has also teamed with the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to develop an on-line pre-view version of the site databases for WisDOT planners.  Likewise, MVAC can access the digitized site records for the State of Iowa, and has a history of following procedures for site data base searches and license requirements in Minnesota.

  • The affiliated Geography and Earth Sciences Department includes faculty who are specialists in geomorphology and soil studies and have worked with MVAC archaeologists on many projects. This department has a full range of soil coring and testing equipment and is capable of carrying out detailed geochemical and particle size analysis. It also provides personnel, hardware and software, for complete GIS and cartographic analysis, including up-to-date versions of ARC/INFO GIS Software, and a wide range of other programs.

  • Additional resources are available on the University of Wisconsin ‑ La Crosse campus including a Scanning Electron Microscope.

 

Professional Staff

Our staff has earned MVAC the reputation of one of the top cultural resource organizations in the Midwest.

  • Senior staff with advanced degrees in Anthropology/Archaeology, qualified to serve a Principal Investigators under the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation.

  • Archaeologists approved to conduct burial site authentications in the state of Minnesota, and burial sites investigations in Wisconsin.

  • Specialists in paleoethnobotany, archaeozoology, and archaeology outreach.

MVAC Staff:

Constance M. Arzigian Ph.D. - Research Archaeologist, Paleoethnobotanist and Lecturer, Sociology/Archaeology at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Michael A. Bednarchuk M.A. - Laboratory Manager

Jean M. Dowiasch B.S. - Educational Coordinator and Graphic Specialist

Wendy K. Holtz-Leith B.S. - Research Archaeologist

Bonnie L. Jancik M.E.P.D. - Director of Public Outreach, Webmaster, and Graphic Specialist

Marcee H. Peplinski B.A. - Business Manager and Development Director

Katherine Stevenson Ph.D. - Projects Director

James L. Theler Ph.D. - Senior Research Archaeologist and Professor Emeritus of Sociology/Archaeology at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse; archeozoologist

Joseph A. Tiffany Ph.D. - Executive Director and Professor of Archaeology at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

Vicki L. Twinde-Javner M.S. - Research Archaeologist

Associate

Stratomorph Geomorph Exploration, Inc. ‑ Geoprobe and vibracore deep coring and geomorphology

GIS Lab ‑ Geographic Information Systems Lab, Department of Geography and Earth Science, University of Wisconsin ‑ La Crosse

 

Satisfied Customers

As of 2006, we have successfully completed well over 1,000 projects and more than 600 project reports in our Reports of Investigation series. Whether it is a planned road, cell tower, sewage treatment facility, or floodplain stabilization, MVAC is the best choice. A sampling of our clients:

Corporate Clients

  • Dairyland Power Cooperative

  • Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center

  • Northern States Power Company

  • Tri-Leaf Engineering

  • Wisconsin River Power Company

  • Wisconsin Valley Improvement Co.

Government Clients

  • Wisconsin Department of Transportation

  • Natural Resources Conservation Service

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

  • St. Paul District Corps of Engineers

  • Ho‑Chunk Nation

  • National Park Service

Municipal Clients

  • La Crosse County, WI

  • Adams County, WI

  • Richland County, WI

  • Houston County, MN

  • Carroll County, Iowa

  • City of La Crosse, WI

  • City of Fond du Lac, WI

  • City of Prairie du Chien, WI

  • Village of Bagley, WI

  • Village of Hatley, WI

Quotes from Clients

Displays at Dairyland Power

"An Oneota Village was uncovered during the early stages of our building construction.  Not wanting to destroy it, we contacted MVAC.  They quickly mobilized a skilled team of archaeologists and rescued the site.  The findings are displayed in our corporate headquarters and are one of the most popular aspects of our building tour."  
- Frank Linder, retired General Manager, Dairyland Power

 

 

"We were planning to develop land in an area that was likely to contain burials.  MVAC's team quickly determined that our plans could proceed without impact to the site.  Our concerns were alleviated in a matter of days." 
- Bruce Larson, Northern States Power Company
 

Building construction

"We were really pleased with the quick response and cooperation of MVAC's archaeologists in this project.  Within two days the artifacts that had been present were rescued and the site cleared for construction."
- Paul Gleason, Vice President, Elmwood Corporation

For more information contact:

Dr. Katherine Stevenson or Vicki Twinde-Javner
Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center
Archaeology Building
1725 State Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: 608-785-8451 (Stevenson) or 608-785-6475 (Twinde-Javner)
Fax: 608-785-6474
E-mail: kstevenson@uwlax.edu or vtwinde-javner@uwlax.edu

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Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
1725 State Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601 U.S.A.
Phone:  608-785-8463, Webmaster

All material Copyright © 2000-2013 Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

*MVAC Educational Programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.  Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
*This project was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation.  Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.