The University of Georgia (UGA) proposes to develop a one-acre site in the Center for Research and Education (CREW) at the Wormsloe Plantation Historic Site in Isle of Hope, Chatham County. The area is the current home of CREW experimental butterfly gardens. UGA proposes to construct a research and meeting facility as part of the expansion of CREW. The property is within Wormsloe Plantation, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). UGA thus sought to determine if significant archaeological deposits were present on the site and particularly to determine if evidence of the Wormsloe Rice Mill was present.
New South conducted a two-phased approach to this survey, consisting of a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey followed by the excavation of 1x1-meter test unit excavation within selected anomalies.
The investigation identified 43 subsurface anomalies that were interpreted and classified into seven separate categories based on their geometry: 17 buried object or objects, four debris scatters, five middens, three paths or roads, five surfaces, four tree roots, and five utilities. Three 1x1-meter test units were excavated to test subsurface anomalies.
The findings of the study revealed that artifacts resulted from a series of discard episodes from the twentieth century. The episodic discard occurred across the project area for decades according to previous research of the area, and test unit excavation revealed evidence that supported this scenario. No features or significant artifact concentrations from the prehistoric period were identified, and no features associated with Wormsloe Rice Mill (Site 9CH1213) were found. Historic aerial photography also suggests the rice mill site is not located within the project area. No further archaeological investigation of the project area is recommended as development of the site will not likely impact significant archaeological resources.
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