Cultural Resources Survey of Selected (Fy-92) Timber Harvesting Areas, Fort Gordon, Richmond and McDuffie Counties, Georgia

An intensive cultural resources survey of six training areas was conducted on Fort Gordon, Georgia in order to assess potential impacts that will result from timber harvesting and replanting. Approximately 1416 hectares (3500 acres) located in Richmond and McDuffie Counties were surveyed and 155 prehistoric and historic cultural resources were located and evaluated for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Of this total, 87 are designated as artifact occurrences, which are defined as 1-4 artifacts found in areas that have been badly disturbed or are simply isolated artifacts. These hold little or no research potential and are not eligible to the NRHP. Of the remaining 68 sites, 18 are recommended as being potentially eligible for nomination to the NRHP. These cultural resources include multicomponent prehistoric archeological sites dating back to cat 8500 B.C., a historic period site dating from the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century, and two unusually well-preserved historic period house sites. Fort Gordon still must protect these sites from damage until additional field work and analysis can be implemented to resolve their status. Concerning project-related impacts to cultural resources, timber harvesting has the potential for severely damaging or destroying archeological sites, particularly if a log loading deck or road is cut through a site. At this time it is not possible to identify specific impacts to specific sites that will result from forest management. It should be noted that the Sandhills of Fort Gordon had been farmed for many years previous to its creation as a military post, and the Army has harvested timber for the past 50 years. In many cases however, artifact deposits often extend to a meter deep in the sandy soils, thus have been little affected by agriculture or timber harvesting.