We recently completed an archaeological survey of the existing Mead to Davis 230kv Transmission Line for the Western Area Power Authority. Originally earmarked for construction in the early 1940s, but not completed until 1952 due to shortages of labor and materials during World War II, the powerline crosses remote and rugged country for much of its course, passing along the eastern slopes of the Newberry and Eldorado Mountains in southeastern Nevada.

 

Circa frequently conducts projects with the Hualapai Tribe, including a National Park Service-funded grant to develop GIS geodatabases of archaeological and traditional cultural sites. Over the past several years we have conducted or led surveys of many thousands of acres and recorded and mapped well over 200 sites on the reservation. We are presently conducting an ethnographic survey of Hualapai TCPs along the Black Mesa Pipeline in northwestern Arizona, part of an Environmental Impact Statement being prepared by URS Corp of Phoenix, Arizona.

 

Circa was recently contracted to conduct an archaeological survey of approximately 90 miles of existing and proposed pipelines for the Hopi Tribe's component of the Black Mesa Project, which crossed the Hopi Reservation from south to north and west to east in northeastern Arizona. The survey documented over 40 sites, including pueblos, artifact scatters, TCP (Traditional Cultural Places), and abandoned Navajo homesteads.

 

Circa served as consultants to The Wilderness Society and The National Trust for Historic Preservation in conducting surveys on the Vermillion Cliffs and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monuments, and preparing comments on the recently released Draft Resource Management Plan for these important Arizona Strip resources. The surveys were conducted with archaeologists from varioius organizations, volunteers, and professionals from related fields. We are proud to have participated in this important advocacy project.