Welcome

The Office of State Archaeology (OSA) is a research and service unit of the University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology. OSA is responsible for issuing archaeological site numbers, maintaining official archaeological site records, and issuing permits for archaeological excavations or the collection of artifacts on state-owned land or any political subdivision or municipal corporation of the Commonwealth as directed by the Kentucky Revised Statutes KRS 164.705-735 and KRS 433.871-885.

The OSA library and site records are located in the Museum of Anthropology's archaeological research facility at 1020A Export St., Lexington, KY. Access to OSA records are restricted to qualified archaeological consultants complying with the National Historic Preservation Act and professional archaeologists or students conducting research with preapproved access. Access to the library is by appointment only. 

Please see Memorandum outlining our procedures for accessing the OSA Library for Archaeological Record Reviews (PDF). 

Library hours: Monday through Thursday: Morning (9:30 - 12:30 am) & Afternoon (12:30 - 4:30 pm) time slots (by appointment only) except on university holidays. Request appointments by e-mailing ky-osa@uky.edu.

You may contact the office through the general ky-osa@uky.edu e-mail or contact staff directly by their e-mail, which can be found here. 

Please follow the links below for more information on reporting sites, obtaining permits, or requesting archaeological information:

To report an archaeological site – Site forms and instructions.

To apply for an excavation or collecting permit on Commonwealth lands – Required of all archaeological work on state, county, or municipal lands and all publically or privately owned caves.

To request information on previously recorded archaeological sites and project areas – Preliminary Records Review and Project Registration Site Checks are generally completed as part of the process of complying with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and coordinating with relevant agencies, including the Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office.

Helpful Information and Links – A summary of Kentucky state laws affecting preservation and management of archaeological resources and links to other state agencies or information relevant to archaeology.