Response to Challenges and Opportunities for Mega-Infrastructure Projects and Archaeology

Amanda Sutphin

doi:10.5334/pia.443

Abstract

This is a very helpful and informative essay written by someone who is clearly very experienced with the complexity of urban archaeology. I would like to offer a perspective about these issues from New York City as although there are no projects that are truly analogous in both the scale and scope of the archaeology of the Crossrail Project, we do have similar projects from a construction standpoint (see New York City Department of Environment 2013 and MTA 2013).

Highlights

In New York, such projects are subject to Federal, State, and City environmental review legislation which incorporates a similar process to what Carver describes
One is the construction of the new South Ferry subway station and subway tunnel in Battery Park, Lower Manhattan Significant archaeological resources were found including portions of the 18th century Battery
Sutphin: Response to Challenges and Opportunities for Mega-Infrastructure Projects and Archaeology other project is the expansion of the World Trade Center site, in Lower Manhattan, where a late 18th century merchant ship was found

Summary

Introduction

In New York, such projects are subject to Federal, State, and City environmental review legislation which incorporates a similar process to what Carver describes. * City Archaeologist, New York City, United States amandasutphin@gmail.com vices Administration, a Federal agency that was charged with building a courthouse, did not alter their project plans after the discovery of a Colonial era burial ground for people of African ancestry until community protests and very unusual legislative involvement forced change (Howard University Press et al, 2009, Vol 1, Chapter 1).

Results

Conclusion