Archaeological Literature Review of the Proposed Coastal Georgia Greenway

An archaeological literature search of the proposed Coastal Georgia Greenway Route was conducted by New South Associates. The corridor traverses 176.13 miles, but the current study looked at only 136.31 miles. Sections of the corridor that were previously studied were excepted from this literature review. Also excepted was the portion of the corridor beginning on River Street and ending at the Visitor's Center on Fahm Street. This part of the corridor will utilize the existing roads and only signage will be added. The corridor begins in Savannah, Chatham County, and continues south through Bryan, Liberty, McIntosh, and Gly1m Counties, before ending at St. Marys, in Camden County. A large portion of the corridor lies within the right-of-way of US 17, although some portions run on abandoned rail beds and along various state routes. The literature search noted 56 previously recorded sites either within the proposed corridor or immediately adjacent. Of these, eight were recommended eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. Two sections of new alignment are included in the study. These include 2,118 feet in Chatham County and 2,657 feet in Camden County. These sections of new alignment, based on the topographic setting and the previously recorded sites in the vicinity, are considered to have a medium to high potential for archaeological site location. We recommend that the both segments of new alignment be subjected to Phase I archaeological survey. Additionally, five sites, 9Gn144, 9Gn145, 9Gn146, 9Mc259, and 9Mc367 are located within the corridor and should be relocated and tested to assess their preservation and depth.