Do you need help reporting an archaeological site?

Many Missourians—artifact collectors, amateur archaeologists, landowners, hunters, hikers, campers, and others—are aware of the existence of archaeological sites. These sites may be prehistoric (Native American burial mounds, village sites, surface scatters of artifacts, etc.) or historical (former town sites, ruins of buildings, abandoned cemeteries, etc.), but most of them have probably never been reported. Whether a place may be a Woodland-period campsite, a fur trading post, or a defunct barrel factory, it is an important part of Missouri’s archaeological record.

Missouri is fortunate to have records of thousands of archaeological sites; however, there may be even more sites that have never been recorded. As the years go by, patterns of land use change. Highways are constructed or expanded, new housing developments spring into existence, and additional land is put under agricultural cultivation. Many sites that could yield valuable information about the thousands of years of human life in what is now Missouri may be destroyed without their existence even being known.

You can help to make the archaeological record of Missouri more complete by sending in information on sites with which you are familiar. Persons who are aware of such sites, though, may not report them because of the paperwork involved.

For that reason, Project ASSIST was formed a few years ago. The name is an acronym for Archaeological Survey Site Information Support Team. Members of the Missouri Archaeological Society from locations around the state—both amateurs and professionals—who have training and experience filling out these forms have volunteered to help. They are as close as a telephone call.
Refer to the Project ASSIST map to locate a participant near you. Their names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses are included in the accompanying chart.

Project ASSIST was created to help you—please feel free to make use of this service!

To report problems or concerns or to volunteer to be a member of the Project ASSIST team, please notify the MAS.