Rice Farm I: Initial Archaeological Investigations at 9DW276, Dawson County, Georgia

Limited archaeological investigations including visual inspection, passive remote sensing consisting of ground penetrating radar and magnetometer surveys, and limited testing through hand-excavated units were conducted at the Rice Farm site (9DW276) located in unincorporated Dawsonville, Georgia. This research was performed between February and October 2018 by faculty and student volunteers from University of North Georgia (UNG) and the local

community. In total, approximately 6.3 acres were subjected to archaeological investigations; however, the limits of the site remain to be definitively identified. Initial results of the archaeological investigations of the Rice Farm site suggest that:

• Prehistoric culturally significant materials are present in plowed areas at Rice Farm.
• Sub-surface archaeological resources, including features of prehistoric and indeterminate temporal association, are present beneath the plow zone where limited test excavations were conducted.
• Subsurface anomalies detected by ground penetrating radar (GPR) are spread across much of the area surveyed by GPR and are particularly clustered to the south, central, and west portions of the survey area. These subsurface anomalies are present in at least three distinct zones situated at 50 cmbs, 90 cmbs, and 110 cmbs. These subsurface anomalies appear to cluster at different depths below surface, suggesting a potential discontinuity between the distinct zones.
• All un-surveyed portions of the agricultural field where the Rice Farm site is situated should be surveyed to better understand cultural resources present across the entire location.
• Subsurface archaeological features are at risk of disturbance and/or destruction due to agricultural activities and/or future development of the site. The Rice Farm site is not currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.