Phase I Archaeological Survey of Sr 7/SR 127/US 41 at Big Indian Creek, Houston County, Georgia

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) proposes to replace the bridge that carries State Route (SR) 7/SR I 27/United States Route (US) 4 l (General Courtney Hodges Boulevard) over Big Indian Creek in the City of Perry, Houston County, Georgia under PI 0015553. On behalf of GDOT, KCI Technologies, Inc. (KCI) contracted New South Associates, Inc. (New South), to conduct a Phase I Archaeological Survey within the project's Environmental Survey Boundary (ESB). The survey was completed pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (36 CFR 800).

The ESB measures l ,870x394 feet (570x 120 meters [ m]) along SR 7 and covers portions of three intersecting roads: Martin Luther King Jr. Drive measuring 3 l 3x245 feet (95.5x74.6 m), Wf Ragin Drive measuring 292x265 feet (88.9x80.8 m), and Main Street measuring 224x207 feet (68.2x63. l m). No previously recorded sites are located within the ESB. Three new archaeological sites were recorded in the ESB: 9HT265, 9HT266, and 9HT267 (Evergreen Cemetery). Sites 9HT265 and 9HT266 are scatters of historic artifacts that lack integrity and significant data potential within the ESB. The site boundary for 9HT265 is fully defined, and the site is recommended not eligible for the NRHP. Site 9HT266 has not been fully delineated by shovel testing. It is considered to be unknown in eligibility overall for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion D. Site 9HT267 (Evergreen Cemetery) is recommended eligible for the NRHP under Criteria A, C, and D. An Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) should be established at 9HT266 to protect the unknown portions of the site outside of the ESB during construction. New South also recommends that 9HT267 (Evergreen Cemetery) should be avoided due to its significance and the presence of human remains, and an ESA should be established to protect the entire site.