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State Agencies

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Agencies​

​​Several agencies are responsible for identifying, documenting, and protecting archaeological sites.  To learn more about these agencies check out their respective webpages.


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Kentucky Heritage Council

​An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Heritage Council is the State Historic Preservation Office, responsible for the identification, protection and preservation of prehistoric resources and historic buildings, sites and cultural resources throughout the Commonwealth.​

heritage.ky.gov​​

​Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Environmental Analysis

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is committed to protecting and preserving Kentucky’s past. This goal is aided in part by the dedication of KYTC’s archaeological staff in the Division of Environmental Analysis. KYTC’s archaeological staff reviews nearly every highway project to determine if the project could impact archaeological resources. KYTC’s archaeologists are also responsible for maintaining the Cabinet’s compliance with various state and federal laws on historic preservation. Because of the breadth of KYTC projects across the state, the Cabinet is typically responsible for conducting a greater number of archaeological investigations than any other agency in Kentucky.

​transportation.ky.gov​

​Office of State Archaeology

The Office of State Archaeology (OSA) is a research and service unit of the University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology. OSA is responsible for issuing archaeological site numbers, maintaining official archaeological site records, and issuing permits for archaeological excavations or the collection of artifacts on state-owned land or any political subdivision or municipal corporation of the Commonwealth as directed by the Kentucky Revised Statutes KRS 164.705-735 and KRS 433.871-885.

anthropology.as.uky.edu​

Kentu​cky Archaeological Survey

Founded in 1995, the mission of the Kentucky Archaeological Survey is to provide a service to state and federal agencies, work with private landowners to protect archaeological sites, and educate the public about Kentucky’s rich archaeological heritage.​

kentuckyarchaeologicalsurvey.org