CR Report for Little River Ag, Inc. (HP-141028-009)

Archaeological survey of a cultivated field where agricultural terraces and a grassed waterway will be constructed. Because the precise location of the terraces and waterway could not be plotted in the field, the area of potential effect for the project was considered to be the entire field where the improvements would occur, an area about 34 acres. On August 24, 2015 archeologist Tom Gresham conducted the requested Phase I survey of the project. At the time of the survey the field was in mature tobacco with 100% ground surface exposure (see attached photographs). Two archeological sites were detected Site 9TH108 is a concentration of early twentieth century material associated with a probable tenant house that is surrounded by a very sparse scatter of prehistoric lithic artifacts. The other site, 9TH109, is a small scatter of historic period bottle glass and ceramics. Both sites were systematically surface collected. As explained further on attached sheets, we recommend that neither site is likely to contribute important information. Continue with planned assistance. No further archeological work is needed. The two sites are surface and plow zone scatters of artifacts that have been disturbed by decades of plowing, terracing and erosion. There are no remnant features (such as chimney or foundations) associated with the former house at 9TH108 and the surface scatters of artifacts are sparse and shallow. The present documentation has largely exploited the research potential of the two sites, so both are recommended as Not Eligible for the National Register of Historic places. Gresham field inspected the project area on August 25, 2015. At that time the field where the terraces and grassed waterway would be constructed was in mature tobacco, which afforded nearly 100 % ground surface exposure. The rows of tobacco were interspersed with 2.5-m wide tractor lanes spaced aboutJ2 m apart (see attached photos). Gresham surveyed the field by walking and inspecting every other tractor lane, thus spaced about 25 m apart. This effected a l0% sampling of the entire field. Widely dispersed artifacts were soon encountered and Gresham plotted the location of each artifact with a hand held OPS unit. In the eastern portion of the field he encountered a concentration of historic period artifacts that corresponded to the location of a small house and large tree visible in a 1940 aerial photograph. This concentration was designated as a site, which was given the state number 9TH108. Gresham inspected the concentration more intensively, and focused the collecting to decorated ceramics and a diversity of the artifacts present. The concentration of historic period material was in an area about 80 m in diameter. There were many brick fragments, but no evidence of intact features, such as a chimney stub or house piers. The majority of artifacts were plain whiteware and clear bottle glass. The inspection of the field revealed a few more historic period artifacts beyond the concentration and a sparse scatter of prehistoric artifacts, all of Coastal Plain chert. Because there was no logical break, we made the entire distribution, that is to say the concentration of historic period material and the much larger (360 m by 200 m), very sparse distribution of historic and prehistoric material, one archeological site, 9TH108, as shown in the attached site map. The prehistoric material consisted of six artifacts, which included secondary and tertiary reduction flakes, flake fragments and a single tool, a projectile point typed as a Late Archaic Marion point. The prehistoric material reflects brief, non-intensive use of the landform, most likely only during the Archaic period.