IAC

What IAC does

Independent Archaeological Consulting, LLC (IAC) is a privately held, woman-owned cultural resource management firm founded in 1990 and operating as a New Hampshire LLC since 1998. The company delivers archaeological consulting services to civil engineers, planners, developers, state transportation departments, utility companies, municipalities, and historic preservation organizations in Northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont). IAC's core offering covers the four standard phases of archaeological investigation — Phase IA sensitivity assessments, Phase IB intensive shovel-test investigations, Phase II National Register eligibility determinations, and Phase III data recovery — together with Section 106 and state-level historic preservation compliance consulting.

Service delivery is anchored by a fully equipped archaeology laboratory in Portsmouth, NH, and a main office in Dover, NH. The firm has progressively added modern survey tooling — most notably, in 2024, aerial drone mapping and ground penetrating radar (GPR) for non-invasive site prospection, cemetery mapping, and architectural feature identification — while continuing to provide GIS and computer-generated drawing capabilities. Notable project deliverables include the recovery of more than 22,000 artifacts from the Memorial Bridge project, 12,363 artifacts from Historic New England's Jackson House, and coverage of 300+ miles of Central Maine Power transmission corridors.

IAC monetizes on a project-based professional services model with multi-year contracts, primarily sold through direct relationships with government procurement officers, utility program managers, and historic property owners. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the firm has no institutional investors, parent company, or venture funding. The firm operated for three decades under founder Dr. Kathleen Wheeler, with ownership transferring in March 2020 to long-term employees Jessica Cofelice and Jacob Tumelaire, who now lead the company as co-owners and Principal Investigators.

Name

IAC

Legal name

Independent Archaeological Consulting, LLC

Website

https://iac-llc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Independent Archaeological Consulting, LLC is a woman-owned New Hampshire firm providing Phase I–III archaeological survey, cultural resource management, and remote sensing (drone, GPR) services to state DOTs, utilities, municipalities, and historic preservation clients across Northern New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Archaeological Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) & ASTM Phase I ESA (EUAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Archaeological consulting services
• Cultural resource management
• Archaeological survey services
• Section 106 compliance
• Historic preservation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Archaeological Survey Services: Multi-phase archaeological investigations (Phase IA, IB, II, III) for infrastructure, utility, and development projects. Services include sensitivity assessments, intensive investigations, determination of eligibility studies, and data recovery excavations.
2. Cultural Resource Management Consulting: Expert consultation to help clients navigate Section 106 process and meet state and federal historic preservation requirements
3. Remote Sensing Services: Aerial drone mapping and ground penetrating radar (GPR) services offered as non-invasive survey alternatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IAC provides professional archaeological consulting services to civil engineers, planners, developers, and government agencies across Northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont). The firm conducts multi-phase archaeological investigations (Phase IA sensitivity assessments, Phase IB intensive investigations, Phase II eligibility determinations, and Phase III data recovery) to help clients meet state and federal historic preservation regulations including Section 106 compliance. IAC also offers non-invasive remote sensing services using aerial drone mapping and ground penetrating radar, and operates a fully-equipped archaeology laboratory for artifact analysis and curation.

Product overview

IAC provides a comprehensive suite of archaeological consulting services as a woman-owned small business operating since 1998 (formerly under Dr. Kathleen Wheeler from 1990). The company operates a fully-equipped archaeology laboratory and offers four main phases of archaeological investigation (Phase IA, IB, II, and III) for projects across Northern New England. IAC recently expanded its capabilities with Remote Sensing Services that include aerial drone mapping and ground penetrating radar (GPR), which supplement traditional survey methods. Their services support civil engineers, planners, and developers in meeting State and Federal regulations for development permits, covering project types including highway improvements, utility expansions, cemetery documentation, municipal improvements, historic properties, and private development. The company maintains a full-time year-round staff and provides ongoing training in computer-generated drawing and GIS technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Remote Sensing Services Non-invasive remote sensing technologies including aerial drone mapping and ground penetrating radar (GPR) that assist or supplement traditional archaeological survey methods, map cemeteries or architectural features, and prospect for unmarked graves.
• Phase IA Archaeological Sensitivity Assessment

Quantifiable outcome

• Recovered over 22,000 artifacts from Memorial Bridge project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA)minorOthersIAC is a member in good standing of ACRA, an organization that supports standards of excellence in cultural resource management on a national level. This membership provides access to industry best practices and professional standards.
• Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA)coreOthersMultiple IAC staff members hold RPA certification, demonstrating professional competency and adherence to ethical standards in archaeological practice.
• Maine Historic Preservation Commission (MHPC)coreOthersIAC archaeologists are approved by MHPC for archaeological work in Maine, with staff holding Level 1 Pre-Contact and Level 2 Post-Contact archaeologist designations.
• City of PortsmouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAC worked extensively with the City of Portsmouth on the African Burying Ground excavation, forensic analysis, and subsequent memorial park development. This partnership included collaboration with diverse community stakeholders.
• Historic New EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAC partnered with Historic New England (owner of the circa-1664 Jackson House) on archaeological investigations for structural and drainage improvements at this National Historic Landmark.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm that operates a large cultural resource management practice serving transportation, energy, and government clients. It competes with IAC for major utility/DOT projects but as part of a broader engineering and environmental services portfolio.
• HDR: HDR is an architecture, engineering, and consulting firm with environmental and cultural resource capabilities supporting transportation and infrastructure clients. Competes with IAC for DOT-led archaeological work, often as a bundled service within larger engineering engagements.
• Tetra Tech: Tetra Tech provides consulting and engineering services including environmental and cultural resource management work for water, energy, and infrastructure clients. Comparable to IAC in the regulatory-compliance consulting domain but at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• Stantec: Stantec is a global engineering, environmental, and infrastructure consulting firm with cultural resource management capabilities. It serves similar state DOT, utility, and developer clients but bundles archaeological services within much broader environmental and engineering offerings.

Direct peers

• SEARCH (Southeastern Archaeological Research): SEARCH is a cultural resource management firm offering archaeological survey, historic preservation, and Section 106 compliance services across the U.S. Like IAC, it operates as a mid-sized specialty CRM consultancy serving transportation, utility, and government clients.
• Gray & Pape Heritage Management: Gray & Pape delivers archaeology, architectural history, and historic preservation services to public and private sector clients. Comparable to IAC in providing full Phase I-III archaeological investigations and serving infrastructure/utility clients subject to Section 106.
• Panamerican Consultants: Panamerican Consultants provides cultural resource management, archaeological investigations, and historic preservation services for infrastructure and development clients. Comparable to IAC in scope, regulatory expertise (Section 106), and target client base.
• Brockington and Associates: Brockington and Associates is a cultural resource management firm delivering archaeological survey, historic preservation consulting, and architectural history services. It is comparable to IAC in its CRM specialization and government/utility client base, though operating at larger scale across the southeastern U.S.
• New South Associates: New South Associates provides cultural resource management, archaeology, and historic preservation services for transportation, utility, and development projects. It mirrors IAC's professional services model and Section 106-driven workflow, with a primarily southeastern U.S. focus.
• Statistical Research Inc. Statistical Research Inc. is a cultural resource management firm offering archaeological surveys, geophysical remote sensing, and historic preservation services. It is comparable to IAC's mix of traditional excavation and emerging remote sensing capabilities (GPR, magnetometry).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IAC