A Phase I Archeological Survey of the Proposed Sycamore Tap 115 kV Transmission Line and Sycamore 115/46/25 kV Substation Tract, Turner County, Georgia

In August of 2016 Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. conducted a phase I archeological survey of the proposed Sycamore Tap 115/25 kV transmission line and Sycamore 115/46/25 kV substation in south central Turner County, Georgia. The proposed transmission line is 4.66 mi (7.5 km) long, with about 80% running alongside rural roads and 20% on new location across wooded land. The substation tract is 5.4 ac (2.2 ha) and is entirely in a cultivated field. The survey was done in order to ensure that Georgia Transmission Corporation is in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, concerning the identification of significant cultural resources (archeological sites) that may be affected by a federally funded or permitted undertaking. In this case the federal agency is the Rural Utilities Service. Our survey relied on visual inspection of exposed ground surfaces and the excavation of 30-m interval shovel tests to locate artifacts indicative of archeological sites. The survey resulted in the discovery and recording of six sites and two isolated artifact finds. Four sites are scant remains of twentieth century farm houses and two are sparse prehistoric lithic scatters. Single prehistoric chert flakes comprise the two isolated finds. Because of a lack of research potential and no connection to important persons or events in history, we recommend that none of the sites or the isolated finds are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Thus, it is our conclusion that the proposed undertaking, the construction and maintenance of the Sycamore Tap transmission line and substation, will have no adverse effect to significant archeological resources and should be granted clearance to proceed with no additional archeological studies.