Q: What laws require the study of cultural resources? A: The movement toward the protection of important landmarks began in 1906 with the Antiquities Act. Later federal legislation includes the Historic Sites Act (1935), Reservoir Salvage Act (1960), National Historic Preservation Act (1966), Archeological and HistoricPreservation Act (1974), and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (1979). Q: But isn't MoDOT a state agency? A: Yes, but MoDOT receives federal funds, and as such, acts as a representative of the Federal Highways Administration and other federal transportation agencies and falls under their guidelines. Also, many projects may require federal permits under the National Environmental Policy Act or various national transportation regulations and thus fall under the environmental mandates. Q: Why do you dig on small seemingly unimportant sites when larger sites exist elsewhere? A: Because it is in the legislative mandate to examine all sites in the area of impact. The result of this has been to gain knowledge on a wide variety of sites and to gain a much more complete view of our past. In addition, what appears to be small scatter of material on the ground surface may represent a much larger site below. Q: What are the qualifications of the MoDOT cultural resources specialists? A: The minimum qualifications include a 4 year college degree in anthropology, architectural history, or related discipline for assistants, and a Masters degree or higher for the positions of archaeologist and architectural historian. Q: Must I allow MoDOT personnel on my land? A: No. Prior to our survey, you should be contacted by an MoDOT representative who will explain the project and ask for your permission. If requested, the archaeologist can personally contact you to make special arrangements. Q: What happens if I say no? A: Our survey will skip over your property and return to it when agreement has been reached between the landowner and MoDOT. Unfortunately, this means that it may be too late to redesign plans to avoid site destruction if a significant cultural resource is present. Q: What happens to the artifacts that you find? A: That depends on when we do the investigation. If the land is in private ownership, the artifacts belong to the landowner and, if requested, are returned after a period of study. If MoDOT owns the land, the artifacts are sent to a long-term curation facility following analysis and documentation. Many of our collections are housed at the University of Missouri in Columbia where they are available for further analysis as we develop new archaeological techniques. Q: What happens to the information? A: The results of our investigations are on file with the Historic Preservation Program and are often consulted by other archaeologists. MoDOT staff also gives presentations to school and civic groups, attends career fairs to discuss archaeology, presents papers at professional conferences, and contributes to both amateur and professional journals. Q: What do you do when you find human burials? A: All burials are treated with great respect and are only removed when their destruction is certain. MoDOT complies fully with all Missouri statutes regarding marked and unmarked graves and the provisions of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) during all phases of fieldwork and analysis. Q: What about dinosaurs? A: Dinosaurs and other extinct species do not fall in the domain of cultural resources. However, when contacted about such finds, we coordinate with outside specialists to insure that important specimens are not destroyed. Q: Can I help on a site? A: Your knowledge of local sites and history can be invaluable to us. Unfortunately, state liability regulations generally prohibit non-state employees from working on MoDOT projects. We are willing to explain what we are doing and provide details of our findings to the landowner. Q: When the availability of an historic bridge is being advertised, could someone take it, cut it up, and sell the scrap metal for profit? A: No. The whole point of advertising an historic bridge is to preserve the structure. When a bridge is turned over to the new owner, a set of protective covenants accompany the bridge. These covenants, which are legally binding, clearly outline what can and cannot be done with the bridge. Q: When an historic bridge is being advertised for adaptive reuse, how much do you charge? A: There would be no charge for the bridge. We do not "sell" bridges. However, when we review proposals, we determine whether the prospective recipient possesses a sufficient capital base to pay for the preservation and upkeep of the bridge. Q: Who can I contact if I know of a site in a MoDOT project or discover one after construction has started? A: Our phone number is (573) 526-3597 or you can write us at MoDOT Cultural Resources, P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO, 65102.