A Cultural Resources Survey of the Proposed Butler By-pass

Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc., of Athens, Georgia conducted an intensive cultural resources survey of the proposed Butler By-Pass in Taylor County, Georgia from June 8th to June 15th of 1992. The route of the right-of-way is 8.5 km (5.3 miles) long and extends from state highway 96 on the west side of town, around the southern city limits, and joins back with state highway 96 on the east side of town. Nearly all of the survey area is on upland ridges with loose, dry sandy soil and few water sources. Two sites, a lithic and ceramic scatter (9TR59) and a lithic scatter (9TR60), were discovered on small landforms overlooking the only wet area in the entire project area, a small drainage forming the headwaters of Horse Creek. The two sites were shovel tested in a cruciform pattern on 15 m intervals. Moderate amounts of lithic material (1 to 6 artifacts per test) were found in the upper 60 to 70 cm of soil and appear to be vertically displaced by bioturbation. Comparison with other similar sites in the region that have been shovel tested and test excavated leads us to conclude that these two sites are not likely to contain features or other classes of data that have not already been adequately sampled by the present survey. The sites are not likely to yield important new information and we therefore recommend that both 9TR59 and 9TR60 are not eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and that no further work need be done.