A Phase III Archaeological Excavation of the Glass Site (WGC1583) in Dodge County, Georgia

Phase III archaeological excavation of the Glass Site (WGC1583) in the watershed of a tributary of Gum Swamp Creek in Dodge County, Georgia was conducted From July 11 through August 1, 1989. Twelve squares, each measuring two meters on a side were excavated at the site. Excavations were conducted in 15 cm levels with each square reaching a depth of at least So cm, and most squares reaching bedrock. All excavated soil was screened through 1/4 inch mesh hardware cloth. No archaeological features or posthole patterns were discerned in the sandy soils of the site. Nevertheless, artifacts were present in all squares. There was a decrease in artifact density at the lower levels where the coarser sands, pebbles, boulders, and eroded sandstone bedrock of an ancient stream bed were encountered. Lithic artifacts included Bolen, Savannah River, Late Archaic stemmed, and Middle Woodland triangular projectile points. Scrapers and preforms were also recovered. Flakes, cores and other debitage (virtually all produced from Coastal Plain charts) are abundant at the site. Aboriginal ceramics included fiber-tempered plain sherds; simple-stamped and chevron-stamped sherds (probably Deptford simple-stamped); and Swift Creek Complicated-stamped sherds. The most abundant ceramic surface treatments were plain; cord-marked; and a brushed, tooled, or simple-stamped surface. The latter three surfaces appear to be related and may represent types within a single ware. The cord-marked sherds are the Ocmulgee I type. The soils on the site are predominantly sands derived from alleviation over the bedrock and stream boulders. There is some accumulation of humus. Colluvium from the adjacent slope may also be present in minor quantities. The lowest levels of the Quaternary sequence soil profile include water-worn pebbles from the old stream bed. The A and B horizons of the soil column have been mixed to some extent by root action and animal burrowing. The C horizon is less disturbed, and contains fewer artifacts than the overlying levels. The mixing of the artifact bearing levels has undoubtedly been intensified due to the relatively shallow depth of the soils. As a consequence, superpositioning of archaeological deposits was poor. The primary pattern observed is a more random distribution of Archaic materials in relation to the later Woodland materials which tend to be nearer the surface.