Authority: IC 14-21-1-31; IC 14-34-4-10

Affected: IC 14

Sec. 3. (a) An archaeological plan must be adopted for any project under this article. The plan must represent a coherent approach to the type of project, the environmental and cultural setting, and the type of archaeological resources known to exist or yet unidentified in the project area. A project plan must consider the need to complete the project in a competent and timely fashion.

(b) A project plan must include the following:

1. (1) Background information that consists of the following:

   1. (A) A physical description of the project area.
   2. (B) Known archaeological resources in the project area.
   3. (C) A history of recent impacts to the area.
   4. (D) A summary of previous archaeological activities in the area.
   5. (E) A description of the construction or other activity that results in a need for the project.
   6. (F) Events leading to the planned project.
2. (2) Justification for the project supported by previous knowledge and probabilities determined from related studies.

3. (3) Objectives of the project that consist of the following:

   1. (A) The reasons for undertaking the archaeological investigations.
   2. (B) The kinds of information expected to be found.
   3. (C) The focus of the project.
   4. (D) The questions to be answered.
   5. (E) The anticipated results.

4. (4) Project methods that consist of the following:

   1. (A) Descriptions of field and laboratory activities.
   2. (B) The range of alternate methods for different aspects or information sets.
   3. (C) Kinds of analyses.
   4. (D) Sampling strategies.
   5. (E) Statistical strategies.
   6. (F) Any other specialized technology planned for the project.

5. (5) Project scheduling that consists of the following:

   1. (A) Expected preparation time.
   2. (B) Field person days.
   3. (C) Analysis time.
   4. (D) Curation.
   5. (E) Report writing.
   6. (F) When the final report will be submitted.
6. (6) The location of facilities that will be used for the processing, analysis, and curation of recovered archaeological materials.

(c) Except as provided in subsections (d) through (e), a project plan must be submitted to the division subsequent to an undertaking as part of the project completion report.

(d) A project plan must be submitted to the division for review in advance of an undertaking only for projects that:

1. (1) are found by the division to require special treatment to satisfy review compliance; or
2. (2) provide for test excavations or data recovery.

(e) An Indiana college or university that has a standing regional research program covering the project area may, if appropriate to the program, relate the investigation to that program. A reference in the project completion report to the regional research program may be used to satisfy the standards set forth in this section to the extent that the regional research program addresses those standards.

(Natural Resources Commission; 312 IAC 21-3-3; filed Jun 8, 2001, 12:30 p.m.: 24 IR 3018; readopted filed Jul 19, 2007, 12:28 p.m.: 20070808-IR-312070184RFA; readopted filed Sep 19, 2013, 10:16 a.m.: 20131016-IR-312130184RFA; readopted filed Mar 26, 2019, 3:39 p.m.: 20190424-IR-312190003RFA; readopted filed Mar 25, 2025, 9:50 a.m.: 20250423-IR-312240574RFA)