Archaeological data recovery at Georgia Power Cultural Property LI-O1 was conducted during the winter and spring of 1985. This multi-component site proved to be badly disturbed by natural and cultural forces, but nonetheless yielded a rich material culture. Prehistoric components at GP-LI-Ol include Late Archaic and Deptford occupations. Bipolar reduction of local quartz cobbles is one significant aspect of the prehistoric component of this property. The occupation is an enigma regarding current knowledge of Deptford settlement along the Georgia Coastal Plain, but it is hypothesized to represent a seasonal settlement, in which the ecotone rift between the sand hills and the wet pine lands was exploited during the warm summer months. The historic component at GP-LI-Ol appears to consist of two structures which are interpreted to have been associated with George W. Walthour, Liberty County's largest antebellum planter. The status of the occupants of these structures was not determined through historical research. Several lines of archaeological interpretation were investigated in regards to this status. The archaeological evidence is inconclusive, although a slave occupation appears to receive greater support than other plantation statuses. Problems in the interpretation of social status through archaeological remains are evaluated as an aspect of the project research.
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