State wins award for archeological dig

The Nevada Department of Transportation has received two awards for Carson City Freeway archeological excavations that unearthed one of Northern Nevada's largest prehistoric villages.

The American Council of Engineering Companies awarded a National Recognition Award for Engineering Excellence to the project this spring. At the state level, the ACEC of Nevada presented the project the 2007 Grand Award in Engineering Excellence.

As part of the environmental review process for upcoming sections of the new Carson City Freeway, NDOT contracted with the Louis Berger Group to conduct the major archaeological excavations at a prehistoric Native American village site located near planned right-of-way for phase 2A of the freeway. The three-year scientific archaeological excavation, conducted between 2003 and 2006, unearthed thousands of prehistoric artifacts, including remnants of 48 house sites, knives, shell jewelry and other features of a Native American village dating back nearly 1,400 years. While examining approximately 30 percent of the prehistoric village, the project left the remaining 70 percent of the village area untouched and preserved for future generations. The artifacts are currently being prepared for curation and possible display at the Nevada State Museum, and a book is being planned by the Louis Berger Group later this year to further share the findings with the public.

"The excavations provided a rare look into one of northern Nevada's largest prehistoric villages and are helping anthropologists understand the layout of ancient villages throughout the American Great Basin in a way never accomplished before," said John Hohmann, Louis Berger chief archeologist and western regional director. "The strong working relationship between the Federal Highway Administration, NDOT, Louis Berger Group, Washoe and other Native American tribal members and the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office helped develop new processes to accelerate the project while staying within budget."

The Carson City Freeway project will continue this fall with the groundbreaking of Phase 2A, which will build two miles of separated two-lane freeway from the current intersection with U.S. 50 East to Fairview Drive. In keeping with the Nevada Department of Transportation's mission of providing a better transportation system for Nevada, the project is designed to provide less congestion and ease of travel through the capital city.