Edwards-Pitman, Inc. (EP) conducted the Phase I archaeological survey for the replacement of GDOT Bridge 101-5014-0 on Country Route (CR) 96/J. Frank Culpepper Road over Enoch Creek in Echols County, Georgia (GDOT P.I. No. 0015619). This project was conducted for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) under a contract with Wolverton Engineering to locate and evaluate archaeological resources. The Phase I survey was completed in accordance with GDOT’s Environmental Procedures Manual (EPM) (GDOT 2013) and with the Georgia Standards and Guidelines for Archaeological Investigations established by the Georgia Council of Professional Archaeologists (GCPA) (GCPA 2019).
There were no design plans at the time of survey, thus the survey area for the proposed project includes all areas within an Environmental Survey Boundary (ESB) provided to EP by project design engineers at Wolverton Engineering. The ESB is approximately 500 meters (m) (1640.4 feet [ft]) long and 122 m (400.3 ft) wide. The ESB is designed specifically to encompass all areas of possible/foreseeable ground disturbance as a result of the proposed project. When design is complete, the project area of potential effect (APE) will likely be smaller than the ESB that was surveyed.
Prior to fieldwork, EP requested that staff at the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF) at the University of Georgia in Athens conduct a review of their records for previously identified sites and previously conducted surveys near the ESB. Additionally, EP reviewed Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System (GNAHRGIS) online database.
No previously recorded sites were identified within the ESB or a 1 kilometer (km) (0.62 mile [mi]) radius of the survey area, and no previously conducted surveys intersect the ESB. The objective of this archaeological survey is to locate archaeological resources within the ESB and evaluate them for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Fieldwork for the Phase I survey was conducted by EP on January 13 and 14, 2020. This work resulted in the identification of three new archaeological sites within the ESB, sites 9EC7, 9EC8, and 9EC9. Additionally, the Antioch Church Cemetery, 9EC10, was recorded within the viewshed of the ESB. (Table 0.1).
Site 9EC7, the remnants of a former bridge, is located immediately adjacent to the existing bridge (Structure ID 101-5014-0) on CR 96/J. Frank Culpepper Road over Enoch Creek. Fourteen wooden piers along with several concrete block fragments were identified at 9EC7 but no subsurface cultural material was recovered. Since 9EC7 lacks the data potential sufficient for answering important research questions EP recommends the site ineligible for NRHP under Criterion D.
Site 9EC8 is a historic artifact scatter identified in the southern portion of the ESB along the western boundary. Since the site is located at the edge of the ESB, it was not fully delineated. The portion of 9EC8 within the ESB lacks the data potential suitable for answering significant research questions. Since the site was not fully delineated, the site is of unknown eligibility for the NRHP.
Given the site’s unknown eligibility, EP recommends that the portion of the site located outside of the ESB be designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and marked with orange barrier fencing (OBF) along the edge of the as of yet to be defined APE for the length of the site during construction to prevent unintended disturbance.
Site 9EC9 is a precontact lithic scatter that was identified within the northwestern portion of the ESB along the boundary. A total of four, non-diagnostic artifacts were recovered. The site is located at the edge of the ESB and was not fully delineated, with the northwestern and southwestern boundary being undefined. While the portion of 9EC9 within the ESB retains integrity and lacks obvious signs of disturbance, it lacks significant data potential as it contains sparse, non-diagnostic material. However, since 9EC9 was not fully delineated, it is of unknown eligibility for the NRHP. Given the site’s unknown eligibility, EP recommends that the portion of 9EC9 located outside of the ESB be designated an ESA and marked with OBF along the edge of the as yet to be defined APE for the length of construction in order to prevent unintended disturbance.
Antioch Church Cemetery, site 9EC10, is located within in the viewshed of the ESB. The cemetery is associated with Antioch Church, which is located within the survey area on the east side of CR 96/J. Frank Culpepper Road. Since 9EC10 is not located within the survey area, it was not evaluated for NRHP eligibility under Criterion D. However, EP (2020) evaluated the Antioch Church and Cemetery as part of a Historic Resource Survey Report (HRSR) for the current project, labelling it Resource 2. EP (2020) concluded that neither the church or cemetery are eligible for the NRHP under Criteria A or C, and did not evaluate them under Criteria B or D. Due to the sensitive nature of this resource and the proximity of the ESB to the cemetery boundary, EP recommends that an
ESA be established and OBF be placed at the limits of the yet to be defined APE to ensure no inadvertent impacts to the cemetery occur during project construction.
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