The City of Alexandria's land development review process includes an Archaeological Protection Procedure. This procedure insures the opportunity for scientific study and reduces the loss of sites and objects of antiquity. Alexandria's archaeological resources represent the cultural heritage of the nation, the Commonwealth and the City.

The Archaeological Protection Procedure is designated pursuant to the Code of the City of Alexandria, Section 5-5-1, Subsection (7.1), Ground Disturbing Activity; Section 5-5-4, Alteration of Grade; and Section 5-5-9, Preliminary Site Plans, Subsection (1), Archaeological Protection, as enacted on November 18, 1989.

Before applying for development approval, a land owner or developer requests a Preliminary Archaeological Assessment from the City Archaeologist. This assessment identifies the potential archaeological significance of the area, the degree of destruction of archaeological resources (definition link) by the proposed development, and the need for the applicant to conduct an Archaeological Evaluation.

If the assessment concludes that an area has the potential for containing significant archaeological resources , an Archaeological Evaluation and a Resource Management Plan are submitted to the City with the development application package. This procedure is used when applying for the following: preliminary site plan approvals, development special use permits, and erosion and sediment control plans.

Submit a Preliminary Archaeological Assessment form at the earliest phase of site development planning. In addition, Alexandria Archaeology will provide information on specific Archaeological Resource Area boundaries, the archaeological potential of individual properties, and methods of archaeological preservation. For more information, contact Alexandria Archaeology at (703)838-4399 or by e-mail.

Small property owners are encouraged to request assistance from Alexandria Archaeology in recording and protecting resources on their land.

Archaeology Protection Code
The text of the City Code, included in Zoning Ordinance, Section 11-411 (D), 1992.

The Metal Detecting Code
The text of the City Code prohibiting metal detecting, digging, or removal of objects on City property.

Request for Preliminary Archaeological Assessment
Completion of this Form is required for compliance with the Archaeological Protection Code.

Alexandria Archaeological Resources Map
This map indicates the archaeological resource areas as described in the Archaeological Protections Code, and highlights some of the fascinating archaeological discoveries brought to light through federal, state, city and private preservation efforts in Alexandria.

Order form for the Report on the City of Alexandria Archaeological Protection Ordinance Use this order form to request a copy of the report, which includes descriptions of the resource areas and an inventory of contributing resources. It is available from Alexandria Archaeology Publications, at a cost of $7.00.

Archaeological Resource Management Firms
A partial list of firms who have completed projects in the Washington, D.C. area.

Preservation in Action: Examples of public and private preservation efforts in Alexandria.

Archaeological Resources include human remains and objects, such as tools, bottles, dishes, seeds and bones of prehistoric American Indian and historic American periods. Areas which contain these objects are also archaeological resources and include graves, wells, privies, trash pits, basements and foundations. Examples of Alexandria's archaeological sites that contain resources are: American Indian camps; historic wharves, houses, shops, schools, farms, country estates, mills, millraces, pottery kilns, breweries, ropewalks, cemeteries, buried ships; historic roadways, canals and railways; and Civil War forts, batteries, entrenchments, camps, and hospitals.

Significant Archaeological Resources are those which the City determines to be important using the criteria: research value, rarity, public value, site integrity, and presence of archaeological materials.

A Preliminary Archaeological Assessment is a determination by the City of the potential significance of a particular property, the degree of destruction of resources by a proposed development, and the need for preservation measures.

An Archaeological Evaluation is a report produced by archaeological resource specialists to document the type and location of significant resources and the extent to which they will be destroyed by the proposed development.

A Resource Management Plan is a report and map produced by archaeological resource specialists that recommend measures for preserving significant archaeological resources determined by the Archaeological Evaluation to be present in a project area. Measures may include, but are not limited to, avoidance of archaeological resources, excavation, monitoring of construction work, recording of resources (field notes, measurements, photography), laboratory analysis of the artifacts, conservation of organic and metal artifacts, and permanent storage of the artifact collection.

Archaeological work shall be conducted in conformity with the City of Alexandria Archaeological Standards and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic preservation. (The City of Alexandria Archaeological Standards describes procedures to be followed by archaeological consultants working in Alexandria, and can be ordered from Alexandria Archaeology Publications at a cost of $3.00.)