ArcBurn: Linking Field-based and Experimental Methods
Linking Field-based and Experimental Methods to Quantify, Predict, and Manage Fire Effects on Cultural Resources (Update)
ArcBurn is an experimental fire archaeology project funded by the Joint Fire Science Program, and is a collaborative effort among fire scientists, forest ecologists, earth scientists, archaeologists, tribal members, and fire managers. ArcBurn is designed to help forest and fire managers in the southwestern U.S. use the best available science to make decisions about how to protect cultural resources during fuel treatments, prescribed burning, wildfire suppression, and post-fire rehabilitation. The need for this information is especially critical as the changing climate is altering wildfire patterns and fire behavior. The ArcBurn project uses both controlled laboratory experiments and instrumentation of prescribed fires to determine critical damage thresholds for cultural resources (archaeological sites, artifacts, and heritage resources). Recorded observations of fire effects, and data on effectiveness of fuels treatments are then used to develop treatment guidelines on best practices for the protection of archaeological resources.
The ArcBurn team was comprised of 13 multi-agency experts, focused on the gaps in the current understanding of fire effects on cultural resources. In all, the researchers interviewed 17 fire and cultural resource managers about best practices and research needs for protecting cultural resources from fire and fire-related activities in the southwestern U.S. The team also worked to develop predictability modeling for erosion and fire effects based on post-burn surveys from southwestern wildfires.
The ArcBurn project conducted experiments at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, including radiant heat testing on volcanic tuff masonry; flame testing on volcanic tuff masonry and ceramics; and smolder testing on volcanic tuff masonry, obsidian, ceramics and chert. Results suggest that there is a wide range of fire sensitivity among artifact types, and that surface and ground fires are more damaging than crown fires.
ArcBurn collaborated with FRAMES to develop a new portal to house useful reports and papers on fire effects on cultural resources, increasing public access. For more information, visit the FRAMES ArcBurn webpage.
For more information on the project, contact: Rachel Loehman at rloehman@usgs.gov.
Key Personnel
Principal Investigator
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USGS Alaska
Rachel Loehman
Research Ecologistmailto: rloehman@usgs.gov
Research Staff
Collaborators
Research Collaborators:
- Bret Butler, RMRS (Retired)
- Jamie Civitello, Bandelier National Monument
- Jennifer Dyer, US Forest Service, Six Rivers National Forest
- Zander Evans, Forest Guild
- Rory Gauthier, National Park Service, Bandelier National Monument
- Anastasia Steffen, Valles Caldera National Preserve
- Vince Archer, US Forest Service, Enterprise Program, TEAMS
Funding Contributor(s):
- Joint Fire Science Program
Publications
- Megan M. Friggens, Rachel A. Loehman, Connie I Constan, Rebekah R. Kneifel. 2021. Predicting wildfire impacts on the prehistoric archaeological record of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA