On behalf of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), New South Associates, Inc. (NSA) conducted a Phase I Archaeological Survey for the proposed replacement of the State Route (SR) 46/County Route (CR) 927 bridge over Ash Branch in Bulloch County, Georgia (GDOT PI No. 0015605). The bridge is being replaced through the Local Bridge Replacement Program (LOCBR), a federally funded program in which GDOT partners with local governments to replace off-system deficient, posted bridges. The work for this survey was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended (36 CFR 800) and was intended to determine the presence of significant archaeological resources within the project's Environmental Survey Boundary (ESB).
The ESB used for this survey encompasses 27.6 acres. The ESB extends approximately 321 meters (1 ,055 ft.) east and 328 meters (1 ,075 ft.) west of the approximate center of the existing bridge and measures 122 meters (400 ft.) in width. The ESB encompasses the intersections of Millie Pond Road, Kangeter Loop, and Lilla Myers Road with SR 46. The existing right-of-way (ROW) is approximately 27 meters (90 ft.) wide.
As a result of the survey, two previously unrecorded archaeological sites were identified within the ESB. Site 9BU 133 represents a lithic scatter of unknown precontact age while 9BU134 represents a precontact and early twentieth-century artifact scatter. Because the site boundaries of each site could not be fully delineated and both sites may extend outside of the ESB, neither could be fully evaluated for the NRHP and their status must be considered unknown. Additionally, the known portions of these sites lack significant data potential under Criterion D of the NRHP. No additional work is recommended for the portion of the sites within the ESB, but an ESA should be established to protect unknown parts of the sites that may be present outside of the ESB from potential disturbance related to the proposed bridge replacement.
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