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Crew briefed on documenting excavated artifacts
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Posted on Jun 13 2005
The Historic Preservation Office recently met with the crew from the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. and contractors hired by the task force for the water meter installation project to teach them how to properly document artifacts they may find during excavations.
“We did this to properly inform the crews that will be out there about the artifacts that they may stumble upon, how to identify them and how to document them,” said Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente, task force head.
The two-hour briefing was done by HPO staff archaeologist John Mark Joseph who stressed the need to ensure that the artifacts are properly documented and turned over to them for safekeeping and further studies.
“If you’re not sure what it is, bag and tag it,” he told the 25 people who attended the briefing held on Tuesday last week at the Water Task Force office on Capitol Hill.
The first meter installation was done last Friday at a residence right across from the Northern Marianas College along Chalan Monsignor Guerrero Road in As Terlaje.
The next water meters will be installed in Terlaje’s neighborhood and on to Beach Road.
The Northern Marianas College water reservoir is among four points north and south of the island from where meter installation will begin.
The other three are the following:
* The reservoir on Isley Field going down to Chalan Piao.
* The Navy Hill reservoir going down to the Maturana Hill, on to the Commonwealth Health Center and Beach Road in Garapan.
* The Puerto Rico reservoir going down to Middle Road and on to Garapan.
Crews from CUC and the contractor are now over 56 percent done with identifying water laterals, a step needed to identify sites where the water meter will actually be installed.
Joseph told the Saipan Rotary Club last week that among factors creating problems with preserving historical landmarks and artifacts is the project contractors’ lack of understanding about the provisions and restrictions on their permit. (PR)
