Phase I Archaeological Survey of SR 9 at CR194/CR252/Dawson Forest Road Dawson County, Georgia

New South Associates, Inc. (NSA) completed a Phase I Archaeological Survey of proposed improvements to State Road (SR) 9 at CR194/CR252/Dawson Forest Road in Dawson County (PI 00 13682). The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) plans to construct two roundabouts at SR 9's intersections with Dawson Forest Road. The survey area extends roughly 1,600 feet along SR 9 and about 1,800 feet along Dawson Forest Road. The width of the survey area measures 300 feet on the roadway approaches and a maximum of about 600 feet at the intersections. An Environmental Survey Boundary (ESB) was provided and this boundary is intended to include all possible alternatives for the redesign these intersections with roundabouts. The ESB defines the Area of Potential Effect (APE). This survey was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (36 CFR 800), and was intended to determine the presence of significant archaeological resources in the project's APE.

This investigation consisted of background research and a systematic archaeological survey of the APE. Background research identified four previous archaeological surveys within one kilometer of the APE, as well as one site within the APE (9DW134) and six sites within a one kilometer radius (9DW6, 9DW53, 9DWl36, 9DW137, 9DW249, and 9DW261).

Site 9DWI34 was revisited during this survey. Its NRHP eligibility could not be determined because its boundaries extend outside the APE, but the portion of the site inside the APE lacks significant data potential. The survey did not identify any previously unrecorded sites, but yielded one pre-contact isolated find consisting of a possible quartz tool. NSA recommends an ESA to protect unknown portions of 9DW134 and the isolated find during construction.