Modern Heritage
The Modern Heritage Foundation is a non-profit foundation dedicated to researching and disseminating information on the use of new technologies to record, evaluate, and manage heritage resources, including archaeological sites, historic structures, and cultural landscapes. The Foundation works with technology providers, academic institutions, government agencies, and private industry practitioners to conduct field and laboratory tests of various technologies in heritage resource settings. Upon study completion, reports and results are disseminated through the foundation's website.
The foundation provides a forum to support the seamless integration of new technologies in heritage resource management and to encourage public outreach and education on the benefits of technologies to heritage resource management.
The Modern Heritage Foundation is governed by an Executive Director, Officers, and Board of Directors. Modern Heritage supports the work of Advanced Metal Detecting for Archaeologists, which provides Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA) certified training in the use of metal detectors on historic archaeological sites.
Technology providers are encouraged to contact Modern Heritage about potential applications and testing. Researchers seeking grant support are also encouraged to contact the Foundation. New South Associates provides administrative and financial support to the Modern Heritage Foundation on a pro bono basis.
Email The Modern Heritage Foundation at research@modernheritage.net
Board of Directors
Josh Blackmon, President
Josh Blackmon received a MA in history from Arizona State University and a BA in anthropology from Georgia State University. He is currently a historian for New South Associates, Inc in Stone Mountain, Georgia and serves as the Board Chairman for the Modern Heritage Foundation. Josh is interested in the application of technology in historic preservation both in the field and laboratory. Josh has worked on archaeological sites in the southeastern, southwestern, and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States as well as the Caribbean ranging from Paleo-Indian to Historic Period. He is an instructor with Advanced Metal Detecting for the Archaeologist and has ten years of metal-detector survey experience on a variety of historic sites including Colonial, Revolutionary War, and Civil War period sites as well as historic farmstead and industrial sites.
Chris Espenshade, Vice President
Chris Espenshade, MA and RPA, is professional archaeologist with more than 27
years of supervisory experience. He holds an MA in anthropology from the University
of Florida and a BA in anthropology from Wake Forest University. Chris is Senior Technical Reviewer for New South Assocaites, Inc.
He has been an leader in encouraging best practices metal detecting in archaeological
research. Chris is a co-founder and instructor of Advanced Metal Detecting for the
Archaeologist. He has served as project manager on a number of projects utilizing GPR
and magnetometer surveys, and has worked closely with specialized sub-consultants
providing technical services such as pottery residue analysis. Since November of 2012,
Chris has been Editor of the Society for Historical Archaeology's publication, Technical Briefs.
Shawn Patch, Treasurer
Shawn Patch, MA and RPA, is professional archaeologist with more than 16 years of supervisory experience. He holds an MA in anthropology from the University of Eastern New Mexico and a BA in anthropology from the University of North Carolina - Greensboro. Shawn directs the Geophysical Services Unit of New South Associates. He has worked extensively with geophysical survey technologies, including ground penetrating radar and magnetometer, and their application to archaeology and he has directed some of the largest geophysical surveys completed in the eastern U.S.
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