Projects & Experience
CHRIS brings together historical research, archaeology, forensic anthropology, cemetery and burial expertise, collections research, and cultural heritage strategy to investigate complex questions about people, places, collections, and the past.
Our work spans institutional collections and human remains research, African American heritage and cultural landscapes, burial investigations, archaeological survey, and cultural resource monitoring. Across these areas, CHRIS uses documentary, material, spatial, and contextual evidence to develop well-supported findings and practical solutions for clients, institutions, and communities.
Research, Collections & Human Remains
Major University Legacy Collections Initiative
Human Remains, Collections & Archival Research | 2026–Present
CHRIS is conducting a records-based and collections investigation for a major university to help determine the present location and disposition of human remains associated with a historic cemetery project.
The work includes review of institutional and collections records, reconstruction of project history and chain of custody, consultation with former project participants and researchers, and investigation of potential human remains and associated holdings. The research is designed to clarify what occurred after the original project, identify relevant collections if located, and provide the university with documented findings that can support subsequent stewardship and return decisions.
This project demonstrates CHRIS’s ability to work across archival records, institutional histories, human remains, collections documentation, and sensitive legacy issues where the historical record may be fragmented or incomplete.
Springs Plantation
African Diaspora Archaeology, Mortuary Research & Descendant Engagement | South Carolina
CHRIS’s work associated with Springs Plantation builds upon long-term archaeological and historical research into slavery, an enslaved community, and a cemetery associated with the former plantation.
The broader research has integrated archival investigation, archaeological and geophysical methods, targeted investigation of cemetery anomalies, mortuary research, and engagement with descendants. More recent CHRIS work has included contributing historical expertise to interpretation of the plantation and the experiences of the people enslaved there for a documentary project developed for descendant audiences.
The work reflects a research approach that treats burial places and plantation landscapes not simply as archaeological resources, but as places shaped by memory, material culture, family relationships, historical documentation, and the continuing interests of descendant communities.
Cemeteries, Communities & Cultural Landscapes
Kingdom of the Happy Land
African American Heritage Research & National Register Documentation | North Carolina | 2025
CHRIS served as prime contractor and Principal Investigator for work supporting recognition of the Kingdom of the Happy Land, a historically significant African American community established in the post-emancipation South.
The project focused on historical research, documentation, interpretation of the cultural landscape, and preparation of materials supporting National Register recognition. The work required connecting documentary evidence and the physical landscape with the history of the community and its significance within the broader African American experience.
The project demonstrates CHRIS’s ability to move beyond conventional site documentation to investigate how history, landscape, community memory, and cultural significance intersect in places whose stories have not always been adequately represented in the traditional historical record.
Youngblood Tombstone
Burial Investigation, Archival Research & Spatial Analysis | North Carolina | 2025
CHRIS conducted a focused investigation of an isolated tombstone to evaluate whether the marker was associated with a human or canine burial.
The investigation combined archival research with review of available GIS and LiDAR data, systematic field inspection, high-resolution photography, GPS documentation, and subsurface assessment using T-bar probing. A defined investigation area was established around the suspected grave to assess soil conditions and identify evidence relevant to the potential dimensions and orientation of a burial feature.
CHRIS integrated the documentary, spatial, landscape, and field evidence into a final assessment addressing the nature of the marker and burial and providing recommendations for appropriate next steps.
The project illustrates the value of combining historical research with targeted field methods when conventional documentation alone cannot resolve questions about an isolated grave, burial marker, or potentially sensitive cultural resource.
Archaeology, Monitoring & Documentation
Luxury on High Rock Lake
Phase I Archaeological Survey & Shoreline Assessment | North Carolina | 2025–2026
CHRIS completed archaeological investigations associated with a proposed residential development near High Rock Lake. After coordination with the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology, the initial survey area was refined to approximately seven acres associated with the first phase of development.
The investigation included archival and background research, systematic pedestrian survey, shovel testing at approximately 30-meter intervals, shoreline assessment, GPS and GIS documentation, artifact assessment, and preparation of technical documentation for agency review.
The project also required consideration of previously recorded archaeological resources and potential shoreline impacts associated with erosion and lake-related disturbance. CHRIS coordinated with the reviewing agency throughout the process and developed recommendations responsive to both archaeological findings and proposed development activities.
This work demonstrates CHRIS’s ability to manage archaeological investigations from research design and agency coordination through fieldwork, spatial documentation, analysis, and reporting.
Boykin Lake Dam
Archaeological Monitoring & Section 106 Support | North Carolina | 2026–Present
CHRIS is providing archaeological support for improvements to Boykin Lake Dam as part of the FEMA Section 106 review process.
The project involves archaeological monitoring planning, coordination associated with construction activities, communication with project participants and reviewing agencies, and preparation for documentation of cultural resources should they be encountered during ground disturbance.
CHRIS’s role is designed to integrate archaeological requirements into an active infrastructure project while maintaining clear procedures for documentation, communication, and response during construction.
The project demonstrates the firm’s ability to provide focused cultural resource expertise within larger engineering and infrastructure projects and to translate regulatory requirements into practical archaeological procedures that can function within an active construction environment.
A Research-Driven Approach Across Project Types
Although these projects differ substantially in scale and purpose, they reflect a consistent approach. CHRIS begins with the question that needs to be answered and builds the research strategy around the evidence available.
That may require archival records, collections research, osteological expertise, archaeological investigation, GIS and spatial analysis, landscape documentation, agency records, oral history, or engagement with people who hold knowledge that is not captured in institutional files.
The result is cultural heritage work grounded in evidence, context, and an understanding that the most complex projects rarely fit neatly within a single discipline.