The Georgia Department of Transportation contracted with Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. to conduct an intensive cultural resources survey of three alternative routes for a by-pass around the town of Hartwell, Georgia. The three alternatives partially overlap and altogether are composed of 18.7 km (11.6 mi) of new right-of-way that will be 61 m (200 ft) wide. Most of the project area is wooded or in pasture (ca.67%), and about 3% is in cultivated fields with the remaining 30% being developed or otherwise highly disturbed. This survey recorded six archeological sites, six artifact occurrences, and a variety of piled stone features. The relatively low density of sites (compared to the state as a whole) is partially attributed to the hilly, highly eroded terrain of the area. The six sites are prehistoric lithic scatters, one of which also contains a late nineteenth/early twentieth century house site. Because of the sparse amounts of material and the high degree of disturbance at each of the sites, we recommend that none are likely to contribute important new information and thus none of the sites, occurrences, or rock features are eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
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