Recording Sites Through TARL
TexSiteWith the advent of TexSite, an electronic program developed by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) for site data recording, we ask that the site data form be provided to TARL as a TexSite electronic document as well as an acid-free paper document complete with all attachments. We ask for both because the current record-keeping system requires both. The paper copy is essential for long-term curation and at times contains information not included on the electronic form. The electronic document is needed for the Texas Archeological Site Atlas, which makes the basic site information available over the Internet. Hand-drawn materials, daily journals, etc., included with the paper form should be either original documents or excellent-quality copies, since they may be scanned for inclusion with the site form if they are not provided as part of the electronic submission. As a rule, trinomials will NOT be assigned to faxed forms. The electronic data sent to TARL as well as the electronic data generated at TARL (i.e. digitizing information) is transferred to the Texas Historical Commission (THC) once a month to update the archeological portion of the Texas Historical Site Atlas. This portion of the Atlas is restricted to approved users only. For more information about the Atlas, view TARL's discussion of the Texas Historical Sites Atlas. The THC TexSite program is free. For questions concerning the TexSite program, please contact Jonathan Jarvis at TARL: 512.471.5959 or jjarvis@mail.utexas.edu, or Dan Julien, Texas Historical Sites Atlas Director, at the THC: 512.463.7199 or daniel.julien@thc.state.tx.us. Texas Archeological Site Atlas
Completing a Site Data FormA TexSite form is basic information about a site. The form should be complete. Missing data will delay the number-assigning process and cause all parties extra work; in fact, a trinomial will not normally be assigned to a form with minimal information. The blank for site owner must be completed. Responding with "N/A" is not acceptable. If you have questions about this policy, please contact Jonathan Jarvis.
If Internet transmission is a problem, the data can be provided to TARL on a CD. Please mail an acid-free paper copy of the site form(s) and attachment(s) along with a CD to: The University of Texas at Austin Or if you would prefer to ship your acid-free paper copy of the site form(s) and attachment(s) along with a CD using FedEx or UPS, etc., please use the following address: The University of Texas at Austin For questions about exporting TexSite forms, please feel free to call Jonathan Jarvis at (512)471-5959. Filing a Revisit Site Data FormThe process outlined above and the stated fees for incoming site data forms also apply when returning to a site under other circumstances; e.g., a "revisit" to a previously recorded site which is generated through a new contract or a new phase of work. Revisit site forms - acid-free paper copy with attachments and an electronic version - supply extremely valuable information documenting how sites change through time as well as how different researchers assess a given site. They also provide new information on what work has been done on a site. Fields in the form should be completed with annotations about the data observed on the revisit. . Each revisit form should be accompanied by a topographic map showing the site in its present configuration, as well as newly-generated sketches of the site or of recently-noted artifacts. Frequently Found ProblemsOne of the important pieces of information required in site recording is the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates. When recording this information, please be sure to specify the datum (NAD 27 or 83, WGS 84) used. When Texas archeologists began using UTM coordinates in the 1970's, they were calculated from the NAD 27 grid ticks displayed on USGS 7.5' topographic maps. TARL keeps an updated set of site locations on its hard copy 7.5' quads, but since the use of GPS units and digital maps has become so pervasive, TARL now uses NAD 83 as the primary datum. While incoming site data forms are checked for some errors,
those turning in site forms should be reminded that they are responsible
for proofing and spell-checking the submissions before they are sent to
TARL. TexSite does have a spell-check feature available. Generally, what comes to TARL is what gets placed on the Atlas. FeesThe site form submission fee and the fee for revisit form submission is $64.00 per site when an electronic version of the site data form is supplied along with an acid-free print of the form (as well as a copy of the appropriate section of a USGS map and any supplemental attachments). TARL offers substantially a reduced fee (25% discount) if ArcGIS shapefiles are provided in addition to the standard site documentation. Having GIS data supplied along with the site forms significantly reduces the processing time involved in preparing a site for the Atlas (not to mention the benefits of precise, accurate mapping). Please contact Jonathan Jarvis jjarvis@mail.utexas.edu if you or your agency/company/institution would be interested in making use of this reduced rate. Jonathan can provide specific instructions to ensure that the proper data is submitted.
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As
a part of its continuing coordination of official trinomials (site numbers)
for archeological and historical sites in Texas, TARL requires that a site
data form and USGS 7.5' topographic map with the site plotted (along with
attachments such as sketch maps and artifact drawings) be provided on acid-free
paper before a site number can be assigned. 
The
archeological portion of the Texas Historical Sites Atlas is restricted
to approved users and there is no charge for access. To find out how to
become an approved user, visit the Atlas web site at 
Electronic
data should be submitted as an email attachment(s) to TARL Trinomials
at 
