Elizabeth (Liz) Southard, RPA, has twelve years of archaeological experience, including five years of experience in CRM. Most of her experience comes from work in the southeastern United States where her role on projects has ranged between Project Manager, Principal Investigator, Field Director, Project Archaeologist, and Archaeological Site Monitor. During her time in these various roles, she gained extensive experience performing visual inspections of project areas, conducting subsurface testing (shovel test and unit excavations in open-air and cave settings), running geophysical survey equipment (GPR and magnetometer), leading field surveys in coastal and inland environments, analyzing artifacts (ceramic, lithic, faunal, and historic assemblages), creating research designs, preparing project-specific permit applications, writing technical reports, evaluating archaeological sites for inclusion on the NRHP, working with clients and government entities, providing guidance for federal regulatory compliance in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and managing all aspects of private as well as public sector projects. In her current TerraX role as Project Manager and Principal Investigator, she has overseen a variety of project types, including solar farm surveys, cemetery delineation surveys, corridor surveys (pipeline and transmission line), bridge replacement surveys, and roadway and intersection improvement surveys.
Through the years, she has worked and contributed to research at some of the most well-known archaeological sites in the Southeast, including the Crystal River site (8CI1) and the Weeden Island site (8PI1) in Florida as well as the Kolomoki site (9ER1) in Georgia. Liz also has a specialized focus in researching depositional practices at shell midden and shell mound sites situated along the Gulf of Mexico. Her main areas of interest include subsistence practices, seasonality studies, and settlement patterns during the Woodland period. Additionally, Ms. Southard serves as the Vice President on the Board of Directors for a non-profit organization, the Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education (AWIARE), that focuses on protecting/preserving archaeological sites in the Tampa Bay area, providing students with research avenues and funding through a competitive grant program, and offering the public with opportunities to learn about archaeology and the rich cultural history of Florida through educational programs. Ms. Southard received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of South Florida Saint Petersburg and her M.A. in Applied Anthropology (Archaeology Track) from the University of South Florida Tampa.