Recording Sites Through TARL

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.

With 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.

TexSite

The THC TexSite program is free. For questions concerning the TexSite program, please contact Jonathan Jarvis, TexSite & Atlas Coordinator, 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. The most current version of the TexSite program is TexSite 2.0 Beta Version 3.0.

Texas Archeological Site Atlas

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 http://nueces.thc.state.tx.us/ or contact Dan Julien, Texas Archeological Sites Atlas Director, at (512)463-7199 or daniel.julien@thc.state.tx.us. The Texas Archeological Sites Atlas is an extremely useful tool that is being continually improved and updated. The archeological portion of the Atlas contains information such as site forms, sketch maps, digitizing information, and map plottings. The digital map sections displayed on the Atlas include archeological site locations, archeological project boundaries and project centroids, National Register information, neighborhood survey information, and street names. Users can search the Atlas by abstract, map address, county, trinomial, quadrangle, keyword, or historic designation. The Atlas contains an enormous amount of information that is constantly growing. The critical task of updating the restricted archeological portion of the Atlas as new sites are recorded and existing sites revisited has significantly increased the workload at TARL; therefore, a fee is charged to all cultural resource management projects and other funded research endeavors (including those conducted by state agencies) to cover the personnel time involved in Atlas data upkeep (please see section on fees below). If you have questions about the Atlas or you encounter problems, please contact Dan Julien or Jonathan Jarvis (contact information above).

Completing a Site Data Form

A 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. Also note the information supplied in "Filing an Updated Site Data Form" below.

Electronic data should be submitted as an e-mail attachment to TARL Trinomials at trinomials@austin.utexas.edu. If you would like to email maps and other attachments with your site form, please submit the USGS 7.5' topographic map as a bitmap or *.jpg and submit sketch maps and drawings as *.tif, *.gif, or *.jpg files. Do not forget that we do need an acid-free paper copy, regardless of how the elctronic version is submitted. If your form and all its attachments have been sent by e-mail and you wish to omit sending a paper copy via regular mail, TARL will print a paper version of the form and attachments for the files at 15 cents per page. When your information is submitted, please specify whether you would like TARL to print out your site form(s) and attachment(s) at a charge or if you will be sending a paper copy via regular mail.

If Internet transmission is a problem, the data can be provided to TARL on a CD or standard 3.5" disk. Please mail an acid-free paper copy of the site form(s) and attachment(s) along with a CD or 3.5" disk to:

The University of Texas at Austin
Texas Archeological Research Laboratory
Attn: Jonathan Jarvis
1 University Station R7500
Austin, TX 78712

Or if you would prefer to ship your acid-free paper copy of the site form(s) and attachment(s) along with a CD or 3.5" disk using FedEx or UPS, etc., please use the following address:

The University of Texas at Austin
Texas Archeological Research Laboratory
Attn: Jonathan Jarvis
J.J. Pickle Research Campus #5, R7500
10100 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78758-4445

For questions about exporting TexSite forms, please see TexSite 2.0 Exporting Instructions, or feel free to call Jonathan Jarvis at (512)471-5959.

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Frequently Found Problems

One of the important pieces of information required in site recording is the Universal Transverse Mercator coordinates (UTMs), which provide precise locational plottings. When recording this information, please be sure to specify the North American datum (1927, 1983, etc.) as indicated in the lower left-hand corner of the USGS map in use or as entered into GPS equipment. The topographic maps from which site locations are digitized for the Atlas use NAD27, and this is currently the preferred datum for TexSite submissions. Please take this into consideration when setting up your GPS unit.

It is also important to indicate as "Recorder" the individuals who field-recorded the site or those who are primarily responsible for compiling the field data. If another individual is completing the TexSite version from a field copy, the information about the secondary recorder can be annotated in the comments section, "Additional Source" in "Sources of Information." Concomitantly, it should be apparent to TARL to whom the trinomial information should be sent. If this data is not imbedded in the Recorder Information section of the form, please make sure to send a cover letter with the name and contact information of the person who is to receive the numbers.

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. What comes to TARL is what gets placed on the Atlas.

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Preserving Your Data

As a precaution against loss of information, it is suggested that you copy your TexSite program's "Data" folder to another location. Use Windows Explorer to set up a "TexSite Data" folder in "My Documents." Holding down the Control key, select the "Data" folder in the "Program Files/TexSite" folder and drop it into the new "My Documents/TexSite Data" folder. This will place a copy of the folder in the second location without removing it from the first. You can duplicate this procedure at the end of each TexSite work session. Agree to replace the older file folder when asked. This will keep your backup file up-to-date. Should your TexSite program become corrupted, you can re-install the program and reverse the copying procedure (moving from "My Documents/TexSite Data/Data" to "Program Files/TexSite/Data" to put back in place your original information.

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Clarification of Terminology

An explanation of our use of the terms "amend," "update," and "revisit" may be helpful. Please review this carefully, as our definitions have been refined since TexSite was initiated and do reflect our current perceptions.

Amending a Site Data Form

A form can be "amended" when a small subset of information on a submission needs to be corrected. If you have determined that we have been given a plotting or UTM that is in error, or if there is a change in the size or location of a site, if you need to add landowner information, etc., please provide this information to TARL as an amendment so that our permanent file maps and files will show the proper information. It is not necessary to provide additional printed and disk copies. Such minor changes (amendments) may be submitted in a note via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. We will make the changes to your paperwork and to the electronic version. If the paperwork and digital location have already been supplied to the Atlas, we will pass on the amended information so that the on-line electronic site data can be corrected.

Filing an Updated Site Data Form

An "update" form and accompanying disk is called for when the changes/additions to an original form are too extensive to be covered through the amendment process outlined above. The information could be the result of additional testing or analysis that was not available when the original paperwork was submitted, but is still part of the initial scope of work. Though in the past there have been no additional charges if updates had to be made to the form through a second electronic submission, there have been too many occasions when archeologists took advantage of our update policy and left us with inadequate site data and/or submitted multiple "updates" long after the initial submission.

The supplemental information should be placed in a new form where only the altered fields are completed. This will save the Records staff from doing a word-by-word comparison of the two completed forms. Because TexSite automatically implants the current date in the "Form Date" field when a new form is opened, it will be necessary to select and modify the field to show the date the original form was first initiated. It will also be necessary to give the update form an ID that incorporates the original site ID plus a supplemental letter (Jones 1a). Additional updates would continue the letter sequence.

As noted in "Completing a Site Data Form" above, approval from the Records staff is needed for the submission of an incomplete TexSite form. The reason for the abbreviated form and the projected date for the submission of the missing information should be clearly indicated. If we agree to accept it, we will make note of the problem and delay providing the site form to the THC/Atlas. There will be 15 days from the day TARL receives the initial form to send the supplemental information and avoid additional charges. If you realize that you cannot get the information to TARL in 15 days, but you do know that your form will be updated, you must contact TARL before the 15 days have passed to let us know approximately when the information will be sent. The time period from initial submission to final update must be no longer than 4 weeks. By following the procedures outlined above, you will not be charged for the update if you file before the extended deadline. If the update is not received by the approximate date originally stated and you have not contacted TARL to request an extension, the initial form will be transferred to the THC immediately following the 15-day period and any updated information received later will be considered chargeable. Timely transfers of the information from TARL to THC will help to keep the electronic database current.

It should be obvious that, if at all possible, this emergency procedure should be avoided, as it involves more work and a greater potential for error. THE FINAL VERSION OF AN INITIAL FORM IS NOT CONSIDERED A "REVISIT."

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Filing a Revisit Site Data Form

The 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 true "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. Please do not circumvent the need for current information by using the equivalent of "see original form" instead of supplying new data. 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.

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Fees

Site record submission fees are payable when the forms are submitted, unless a billing arrangement has been previously established. Please make sure that contact information is clearly provided when the request for trinomials is made so that you may be reached if we have questions about your submission. If site forms to be billed are received at the same time as site forms accompanied by a check, we will usually give preference to the latter. When payment is received at the time of the request, a zero-balance invoice will be sent to the submitter.

If you have forms to turn in that are long overdue (with or without trinomials), please check with TARL staff to ascertain whether or not the charges will be assessed. Remember, initial, update, or revisit forms submitted by avocational archeologists, student archeologists, or from pro bono research projects are not charged site record submission fees.

The site record submission fee and the fee for overdue updates is $26.00 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). The site record submission fee is $42.00 per site if only a paper form is supplied. In order to facilitate the processing of fees, invoices are now prepared and mailed as the form is uploaded into TARL's TexSite/Atlas database. They are payable within 90 days. This will allow those of you with short term projects to pay from these projects while they are active and will allow state agencies wishing to minimize paperwork to accumulate invoices for quarterly payments.

We hope the above explanation sufficiently clarifies current TexSite policies. Please feel free to contact the Records staff listed below if you have questions. As always, we thank you for your support and cooperation.

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