An Archaeological Resources Survey, Testing, and Evaluation of the A.E. Harris and Wimberly Tracts at the Houston American Cement Project, Houston County, Georgia

January through April of 2007, Brockington and Associates, Inc. completed an

archaeological resources survey of the A.E. Harris and Wimberly tracts in Houston

County, Georgia. These investigations were conducted under contract with Votorantim

Cimentos North America, Inc., a parent company of Houston American Cement (HAC).

Andrew Pappas served as Principal Investigator and Field Director. Project goals

included the location of all potential archaeological resources located within the project

boundaries and subsequent evaluation of all National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)

eligible resources which may be endangered, destroyed, or impacted either marginally or

substantively through development.

Field Survey involved the examination of the landscape, vegetation, and ground

surface, as well as the excavation of screened shovel tests at 30 meter (100 ft) intervals

within the project boundaries. Survey work in Houston County was conducted pursuant

to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and in compliance with Section 106 of the

National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended through 1992), by personnel

qualified under the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards

(36CFR Part 61 – Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation).

Background research indicated one previously recorded cultural resource within

the project area, and 1 archaeological site less than .5 km west of the Wimberly tract. Big

Indian North Terrace (9HT147), located in the southeastern portion of the A.E. Harris

tract, is a dense scatter of lithic artifacts diffused over an area of roughly 18 acres. This

site was revisited during the current survey and its significance determined through

subsequent testing. In addition to Phase II testing done at 9HT147, sites 9HT200,

9HT201, and 9HT219 underwent supplemental Phase II testing in order to determine

significance. Fieldwork done within both the A.E. Harris and Wimberly Tracts have

resulted in the identification of 20 archaeological sites (9HT200, 9HT201, 9HT202,

9HT203, 9HT204, 9HT205, 9HT206, 9HT208, 9HT209, 9HT210, 9HT211, 9HT212,

9HT213, 9HT214, 9HT215, 9HT216, 9HT217, 9HT218, 9HT219, 9HT220), none which,

including 9HT147, is considered significant, and are recommended ineligible for the

NRHP. Due to their low potential to yield useable data concerning either the history or

prehistory of the region, these sites do not warrant further investigation. No further

cultural resource investigations are required either at these sites or at the isolated finds,

and clearance for development is recommended.