Phase I Archaeological Survey and Systematic Metal Detection of the Six-Acre Bob Fleming Study Area

On July 19, 2017, Brockington and Associates, Inc. (Brockington) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the six-acre Bob Fleming Study Area in Cobb County, Georgia. This property is located north of Dallas Highway (SR-120), east of Midway Road, south of Due West Road, and west of Bob Fleming Road. The study area is composed of two areas on either side of an unnamed tributary of Allatoona Creek. The study area lies within the larger 68-acre Bob Fleming Tract between County Road, Dallas Highway, Myrtle Creek Trail, and Bob Fleming Road that is planned for residential development. Brockington conducted this survey on behalf of Planners and Engineers Collaborative, Inc. (PEC) ahead of this proposed development. The two smaller areas that comprise the six-acre Bob Fleming Study Area were selected for Phase I survey required by permit stipulations for United States Corps of Engineers (USACE) jurisdictional lands as regulated by the Savannah District, USACE. The study areas were defined around rock piles, as reported by the permit applicant. The goal of the survey was to evaluate these rock piles, and locate and evaluate all archaeological sites and historic resources within the study areas. This Phase I survey was conducted as a due diligence archaeological identification effort prior to the construction of the planned residential development. PEC determined that permit stipulations are required pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 CFR 320-330), as regulated by the Savannah District, USACE.

Brockington conducted the Phase I survey in compliance with all relevant federal and state cultural resources legislation and guidelines as well as the guidelines pertaining to the protection of archaeological resources and the procedures for conducting field investigation within Georgia. All Brockington personnel are qualified under the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards (36 CFR Part 61 Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation).

The Phase I archaeological resources survey consisted of both background research and field investigations. Background research consisted of an examination of archaeological site forms for previously recorded sites and reports for previous cultural resource investigations conducted in the vicinity of the project tract.

Background research identified no previously recorded archaeological sites or architectural resources within the project tract. However, we did encounter historic documentation of Civil War use of the area. The Bob Fleming Tract is located within the Pine Hill and Gilgal Church battlefield study areas previously defined by the National Park Service (NPS) on maps which accompany the 1993 Civil War Sites Advisory Commission (CWSAC) Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields (NPS CWSAC 1993).

Due to the recorded presence of Civil War activity, Brockington conducted systematic metal detection survey along 30-meter interval transects within the study area(s). Metal detection resulted in the identification of three fired Civil War bullets (Isolate 1, Isolate 2, and Isolate 3). These finds are likely related to skirmishing in the tract during the Lost Mountain, Pine Mountain, or Gilgal Church engagements during June 1864. Isolated finds are generally not eligible for the NRHP. However, it is unknown if earthworks and/or other Civil War artifacts are present within the larger 68-acre Bob Fleming Tract which could represent combat or bivouac areas.

Field investigations for the current project consisted of 30-meter interval shovel testing within the six-acre Bob Fleming Study Area. Fill from shovel tests was screened through one-quarter-inch hardware mesh and systematically examined for artifacts and other evidence of past human activities. A total of 20 shovel tests were excavated with two initial shovel tests yielding artifacts. Additional 15-meter interval shovel tests were excavated during delineation. All exposed ground surfaces within the study area were also visually inspected.

Three previously unrecorded archaeological sites (9CO769; 9CO770; 9CO771) were identified during shovel testing and surface examination. Table i summarizes information for these sites. 9CO769 represents a Pre-Contact lithic scatter on a hilltop overlooking an unnamed tributary of Allatoona Creek. Artifacts (n=11) consist of nondiagnostic quartz flakes and flake fragments and two non-diagnostic quartz tools. A nineteenth- to twentieth-century rock line feature is also located within the boundary of 9CO769. This small, low density site has been disturbed by agricultural use of the area and erosion. The rock line is likely the result of field clearing during the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, and does not fulfill the criteria to be eligible for inclusion in the NRHP.

Site 9CO770 is a quartz rock pile located just north of an unnamed tributary of Allatoona Creek. This rock pile appears to be a rock accumulation area related to twentieth century land clearing and rock collection practices; the rock pile may also represent a Pre-Contact burial. Site 9CO771 is a quartz rock pile located directly east of an unnamed tributary of Allatoona Creek. This rock pile is more distinct and may represent either a Pre-Contact burial or a historic rock collection pile. Further investigation is necessary to determine the cultural affiliation of these rock piles.

In Summary, 9CO769 is a small, low-density lithic scatter that offers little potential for further research. We recommend this site ineligible for the NRHP. The isolated finds were recovered in isolated contexts without association with distinct battlefield or camp features (e.g., earthworks, additional artifacts, and/or military features); therefore, we recommend that these isolates are not eligible for the NRHP. However, it is unknown if earthworks and/or other Civil War artifacts are present within the larger 68-acre Bob Fleming Tract which could represent combat or bivouac areas. The two rock piles identified at 9CO770 and 9CO771 have the potential to contain intact Pre-Contact burials. We recommend these sites be avoided. If future adverse effects to these sites, including construction, landscaping, or related ground disturbance, cannot be avoided, we recommend additional Phase II testing of the rock piles.