September 16, 2025
If you’ve ever talked with an architect, engineer, or contractor you may find they use a lot of letters in their lingo. This campaign is an effort to demystify some of the commonly used acronyms in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (A/E/C) industry, what they mean, and why they are important.
What is a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA)
A Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) is a credentialed expert who meets established standards of education, experience, and ethical practice in the field of archaeology. RPAs are committed to preserving and interpreting cultural heritage through responsible, scientifically grounded methods. They bring value by ensuring archaeological work is conducted with integrity, accuracy, and respect for cultural resources, whether in academic research, heritage management, or compliance with legal requirements. Their professional accountability helps protect archaeological sites for future generations and fosters public trust in how history is studied and preserved.
Hand excavation and relocation of the Gaskin Family Cemetery – Kershaw County, SC
Meet Principal Archaeologist, Senior Project Manager, Kim Nagle, RPA
Kim is a Principal Archaeologist, Senior Project Manager based in S&ME’s Columbia, South Carolina office. With over 27 years of experience, Kim has spearheaded a wide range of archaeological investigations for industrial, commercial, and residential developers, public utilities, and numerous local, state, and federal agencies. She has successfully managed projects of varying scale, from small single-property reconnaissance studies to extensive multi-state pipeline corridors and large-scale hydroelectric relicensing surveys. Kim specializes in prehistoric archaeology, cultural resource management, GIS, and artifact curation, and brings advanced analytical expertise in lithic and ceramic analysis, as well as human osteology.
What first inspired you to pursue a career in archaeology?
“My 5th-grade teacher did a lesson on archaeology and had us dig around in sand in a fish tank to uncover rocks, fake animal bones, or something like that, and that was it, that was all I ever wanted to do.
Roughly 10,000 year old tools (scrapers, a Clovis point, and a petrified wood tool on the far right) – Lexington County, SC
What does a typical day look like in your role?
My role with S&ME is a mix of administrative duties and fieldwork. The fieldwork is the best part of my job! Our typical fieldwork day consists of digging shovel tests, circular holes that are about the width of a normal shovel, and sometimes finding artifacts like historic ceramic, glass, and other household items, to prehistoric artifacts like pottery and projectile points (arrowheads). We get to walk around in the woods, see a bunch of stuff you wouldn’t typically see, find abandoned buildings, and come across different animals”.
What kind of clients do you work with, and what expertise are they typically looking for you to provide them?
“The clients I work with at S&ME range from residential and industrial developers, energy-related clients like natural gas and electric companies, renewable energy like solar and wind farms, different DOTs throughout the southeast, city and county governments, and some nonprofits that are doing walking paths or interpretive trails.
Typically, cultural resources get involved when there is some type of federal involvement in a project; things like a permit from the United States Army Corps of Engineers, funding from the United States Housing Authority, or grant money for walking paths from the South Carolina Parks and Rec (this money is overseen by the National Park Service). When there is federal involvement, the federal government is required to determine if the project they are funding or permitting will have an effect on significant cultural resources – archaeological sites or standing structures. As part of their application process, our clients will need to engage us to ensure that the project, as planned, will not impact significant resources. We may find archaeological sites or document structures during the survey, but most of the time, those resources are considered not eligible or not significant, and the project can continue to move forward.
Data recovery excavations at Tree House Site – Lexington County, SC
An archaeological site is considered significant if it has the ability to contribute new information on the history or prehistory of the region. For this to happen, we would end up finding large concentrations of artifacts, cultural features (things like prehistoric fire pits, mound sites, or middens/trash pits).
One other situation that is slightly different, is in dealing with cemeteries. Cemeteries are protected by state law, so we are hired frequently to document cemeteries and determine their boundaries so that they are not disturbed during construction-related activities. Sometimes the development can’t avoid the cemetery, and we are hired to relocate the cemetery to a different location. This is a lengthy process and doesn’t happen frequently.”
What has been one of the most challenging projects you’ve worked on?
“We moved a historic cemetery a couple of years ago, and that was really a challenge. It had so many moving parts that needed to line up, so logistically it was tricky, making sure that the people working with us were respectful of the deceased, including not taking pictures of the remains, and discovering a buried cement crypt that required the funeral director getting a special piece of machinery into a remote semi-wooded area. It was a crazy experience, but very interesting and I learned a lot.”
What’s been one of the most rewarding or exciting discoveries in your career?
Geophysical survey and the unmarked graves (in pink spray paint with orange flags) at Line Street Cemetery – Melbourne, Brevard County, Florida
“I think one of the more rewarding things that has happened recently was that we came across a cemetery during fieldwork, and the markers were fieldstone, with no markings on them. We looked at historic maps and deed research, figured out the names of the landowners, and, given the time period, we made the assumption that the people buried in the cemetery were formerly enslaved and, when emancipated, they would sometimes take the last name of their enslaver. We were able to identify at least a few of the individuals buried in the cemetery and discovered their family currently owns the land, but didn’t realize it was their family in that cemetery. As part of our clients’ landowner relations, we are putting together a genealogy book for them, based on what we uncovered and some other family history information.”
How do you approach unexpected challenges in the field?
“Very slowly lol – honestly, every day in the field we have some type of challenge. We just have to be able to pivot and take everything in stride. If nothing else, archaeology is unpredictable, and you learn to expect the unanticipated.”
What skills have been most important to your success in this field?
“Being flexible, being willing to put in the work and literally get dirty, and being personable.”
What academic or professional background helped prepare you for this role?
“In getting my MS, the school I went to had a Cultural Resource Management Firm associated with it, so I was able to learn the business side of things, which has really helped get me to where I am today.”
Can you tell us more about the process in earning your RPA?
“The RPA process for me was an application process. It was the culmination of my efforts in the field of archaeology up to that point. The fieldwork I completed, the thesis I wrote, and coursework done while getting my master’s degree.
My thesis was on rockshelters as unique archaeological sites in the landscape of North America. The work I did was in southern Indiana, which has an abundance of rockshelters in the Hoosier National Forest, I examined the artifacts collected from three rockshelters and compared the results to other rockshelters that had been excavated in the same area and also in the surrounding states.
In terms of the RPA process, my thesis was research-based, which they want to see their professionals are able to compile, synthesize, and disseminate information in a way that is beneficial to other researchers and the field of archaeology in general.”
How has earning your RPA designation changed your responsibilities or the way you approach your work?
“Having my RPA, I am bound by ethical and professional standards, so it makes me hold others who work on my projects responsible, too. It can be taken away if I were to do something unethical and be caught, and I certainly didn’t do all this work to get the certification for that to happen!”
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in archaeology?
“Take a field school and get a BA/BS in anthropology and become a shovel bum. That is the one way you will know if cultural resource management is what you want to do.”
Are there any misconceptions about the field?
“We look for dinosaurs and gold! I can’t tell you how many times landowners will ask if we have found gold on their property yet!”
What makes a candidate stand out in this profession today?
“Having a passion for archaeology and isn’t afraid to show it; this shouldn’t be a career path that someone isn’t sure about. It is a lot of hard work that can be unforgiving at times, and having that drive and passion really helps get us through those tough times.”
What trends or changes do you see shaping the future of archaeology?
“There will never be a replacement for the hand excavation that we do, but we are seeing more remote sensing and other geophysical methods being used to help guide excavations. Although considered pilot programs, the work is being done to see what types of cultural features can be differentiated using a mix of geophysical methods and ground truthing to see if, maybe in the future, some excavation isn’t necessary, and the truly significant resources can remain undisturbed and intact.”