Within our own Department of Natural Resources, the Office of the State Archaeologist works closely with our agency's land managers to identify and protect archaeological resources on state-owned property. We are housed within DNR’s Parks and Historic Sites Division and have established strong, mutually beneficial relationships with DNR's Wildlife Resources, and Coastal Resources Divisions. We also work closely with agencies and organizations both inside and outside state government. Some of our most important public partners are the Society for Georgia Archaeology, the Georgia Council of Professional Archaeologists, the Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns, and the Georgia Archaeological Site File.

The Archaeology Section provides assistance to the public, offering technical advice, information, and educational opportunities related to archaeology.

DNR Service

Our primary DNR responsibility is to carry out surveys of DNR-administered lands. We conduct between fifty and seventy-five such reconnaissance-level surveys each year across the state.

A highlight of our year is participation in Weekend for Wildlife (WFW), and annual event hosted by the Nongame-Endangered Wildlife Program at the Cloister resort on Sea Island. Weekend for Wildlife mixes adventure excursions to Georgia's wild barrier islands with a spectacular auction and banquet to create the ideal getaway for concerned wildlife enthusiasts. The event has raised millions of dollars for DNR management projects.

Research on DNR-managed lands

The Office of the State Archaeologist receives many requests from graduate students, professors, and others wishing to conduct research on DNR-managed lands. Usually, these archaeological sites are not under any threat and hence do not require mitigation. However, it is DNR's policy to encourage research that is minimally-destructive, answers pertinent research questions, and yields information useful for interpretation and management purposes.

The State Archaeologist is responsible for permitting or entering into contractual agreements with recognized scientific institutions or qualified individuals to conduct research on state owned or managed lands. To better promote the preservation of Georgia’s archaeological and historic resources, the Office of the State Archaeologist on behalf of the State of Georgia, reserves the right to retain ownership of all data derived from state owned or managed lands as well as products produced from such data. Individuals may be allowed to retain the rights to the data when those individuals are exceptionally well-qualified, have a track record of peer-reviewed publications and grants related to the research in question, and/or have an established history of research on State owned or managed lands. Individuals allowed to retain ownership rights must grant the State a license to use the data.

Please read the following documents carefully, and then contact the State Archaeologist with any questions.

Archaeological Research on DNR Lands

• Checklist and Memorandum of Understanding (pdf)
• Protocols for Research on DNR Lands: Memo (pdf)
• Protocols for Research on DNR Lands (pdf)

Archaeological Research on DNR Collections

• Checklist and Memorandum of Understanding (pdf)
• Protocols for Research on DNR Collections (pdf)

Sponsored Research

DNR manages some of the premier archaeological sites in the southeast. The only way to efficiently interpret and manage those sites is through carefully controlled and limited investigations. However, our internal resources to investigate those sites is limited. Further, there are certain types of projects that require expertise outside of what our staff members command. Thus, we work proactively with universities and other entities to carry out mission-critical research on archaeological resources.

Who to contact:

Rachel Black, Deputy State Archaeologist
rachel.black@dnr.ga.gov, 770-389-7862

Aimee Bouzigard, Staff Archaeologist
aimee.bouzigard@dnr.ga.gov, 770-389-7857