Illinois Archaeological Survey Tech Stack

Archaeological survey and collections stewardship for Illinois cultural resources

Research Services Urbana, Illinois 51–200 employees Founded 1956 Nonprofit

Illinois Archaeological Survey is a research-focused nonprofit managing field surveys, site testing, and artifact collections across Illinois. The organization's tech stack is heavily GIS-centric (ArcGIS, Trimble, GPS) paired with legacy data tools (Access, FileMaker, Excel), reflecting the manual, field-intensive nature of archaeological work. Core operational friction centers on NAGPRA compliance, timely repatriation of cultural items to source communities, and collections consolidation—suggesting that internal process bottlenecks, not technology adoption, are the primary constraint.

Tech Stack 12 technologies

Core StackArcGIS Adobe Creative Cloud Trimble GIS SharePoint GPS Microsoft Access Excel SQL FileMaker Microsoft Office FileMaker Pro

What Illinois Archaeological Survey Is Building

◆Challenges

Compliance with nagpra
Timely return of cultural items
Returning cultural items to source communities
Streamlining ehp compliance reviews
Process improvements across non-disaster programs
Conserving iron artifacts
Consolidating collections
Regionalization effort
High visitor volume management
Staffing shortage

▲Active Projects

Nagpra program
Phase ii site testing
Phase i surveys
Phase iii mitigation projects
Field surveys for transportation projects
Identifying and evaluating historic architecture for national register listing
Nagpra osteology collections documentation
Cultural affiliation documentation
Evaluation of prehistoric and historic-period archaeological resources for transportation undertakings
Rehousing archaeological collections

Hiring Activity

Minimal95 roles · 2 in 30d

Department

Research

Anthropology

Museum

Ops

Data

Engineering

Environmental

Government

Seniority

Mid

Senior

Junior

Director

Manager

Intern

Principal

Lead

Notable leadership hires: Director Curator, Director, Head of Archaeology, NAGPRA Director, Head of Collections

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About Illinois Archaeological Survey

Founded in 1956, the Illinois Archaeological Survey operates as a professional society dedicated to identifying, evaluating, and preserving archaeological resources throughout Illinois. The organization conducts phase I–III archaeological surveys for transportation projects, manages NAGPRA repatriation programs, and curates statewide collections. It publishes Illinois Archaeology, a peer-reviewed annual journal. The organization is headquartered in Urbana, Illinois, with a research-dominant staffing model and active field and curatorial operations.

HeadquartersUrbana, Illinois

Company Size51–200 employees

Founded1956

Hiring MarketsUnited States

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Illinois Archaeological Survey working on?

Primary projects include NAGPRA repatriation programs, phase I–III archaeological site testing and surveys, field assessments for transportation projects, historic architecture evaluation for National Register listing, osteology documentation, and collections rehousing.

Where is the Illinois Archaeological Survey headquartered?

Urbana, Illinois. Founded in 1956, it is one of the oldest professional archaeological societies in the New World.

What tech does Illinois Archaeological Survey use?

GIS-heavy stack: ArcGIS, Trimble, GPS, and FileMaker for collections management. Also uses SharePoint, Microsoft Access, Excel, and Adobe Creative Cloud for documentation and publishing workflows.