Cultural Resource Survey of Five Lake Locations, Stone Creek Development

This report presents the results of an intensive cultural resources survey of five parcels of land proposed as locations for small lakes connected with the Stone Creek Development, a residential and recreational development just north of Valdosta. The construction of the lakes will affect wetlands so a 404 permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers was required. One aspect of the permitting was consideration of potential adverse effects to significant archeological and historical sites that might be in the area. In accordance with Department of Interior guidelines, Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. conducted an intensive pedestrian and shovel testing survey of the cat 16 ha (40 ac) project area in order to locate and evaluate (in terms of eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places) any archeological sites that might be present. The project area consists of five lake locations that are composed of low lying bottomlands surrounded by about 30 to 50 m of sloping uplands. Because there was a great amount of surface exposure in which to detect artifacts, survey relied primarily on surface inspection, although 35 shovel tests were excavated. Two archeological sites (9LW34 and 9LW35), both sparse scatters of pottery and chert artifacts, were recorded, along with two artifact occurrences, which were localities where less than three artifacts were found in areas of excellent surface exposure. Two sherds on one site, 9LW34, are of the San Marcos series, an aboriginal ware made from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, mainly in north Florida. No other diagnostic material was recovered from either site. Because both sites have been disturbed by long term erosion and recent clearing of upland areas and because both are very sparse scatters of artifacts (one site yielded six artifacts, the other fourteen), it is unlikely that either site (or either of the occurrences) can yield additional important information on the prehistory or history of the region. We therefore recommend that 9LW34, 9LW35, and the three occurrences, are not eligible to the National Register of Historic Places and that no further work need be done at these sites. In regard to cultural resources we recommend that the project be given clearance to proceed.