Last month, I was informed that I’d be running a crew that was going to excavate an archaeological feature that was believed to have been a historical forge at a mining site. This was a surprise, but, initially, I wasn’t worried. That was, until I asked about the safety plan […]
This post is part of a 100-word challenge that I accepted on the IncomePress website. The writing below the italicized text is exactly 100 words. It sums up the reason why I started Succinct Research and why I blog. Enjoy and have a Happy New Year! Times change. Lives change. […]
The last thing any client wants is a delay in their project. Anyone that has a cultural resource management, heritage conservation, or historic preservation job knows what happens when we find things that cause delays. For example, client wants to build a communications tower in a specific location. They know […]
One rainy November morning, my office mate strolled into our office with a bold exclamation. “I found a historical trash pile.” She was beaming with happiness. “And I did it using those old maps from that website you found on the internet. Thanks.” “Which old maps website?” Now, I was […]
It’s been a long time since I did my first Level of Effort estimate. In case you don’t know, a Level of Effort estimate is an educated guess on how long it will take for your co-workers or employees to accomplish a given project. It’s important for scoping a proposal […]
My wife had lunch with a friend that is also an archaeology field director earlier this week. Conversing while they enjoyed a relaxing meal, her friend started describing how frustrating her last project was because of two particular co-workers. She was called upon to lead a particularly challenging archaeological testing […]
Throughout our careers, we all come in contact with people that really change our lives. I remember when I landed my first job as a project archaeology crew chief. College was a recent memory and I had a long way to go. All of my skills were pathetic. I couldn’t […]
I was talking with a neighbor about how crappy the cell reception is in our neighborhood. He told me that a couple of years ago, a telecommunications company had planned to build a cell tower adjacent to a nearby wash in a location where it would be able to serve […]
Most construction and development companies fear the discovery of historic properties. I’ve talked to dozens of construction head honchos and project managers that absolutely dread the thought of finding a historic building or archaeological site where they propose to build something because it will require them to re-think some major […]
At 9AM it was already about 95 degrees with 85 percent humidity. I was walking with my crew through a muddy wash somewhere in Pima County, Arizona. It rained yesterday. The wash was a smoldering sauna. Fifty-foot high cliffs enveloped me on both sides as my boots slipped in the […]
