Phase I Archaeological Survey of the CR 168/James Rogers Road Bridge Replacement Over Hardage Ford Creek, Marion County, Georgia

In March and November of 2019, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB), Inc. completed a Phase I archaeological resources survey in support of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) proposed bridge replacement along County Road (CR) 168/James Rodgers Road (Rd) over Hardage Ford Creek in Marion County, Georgia. The bridge (Bridge ID # 197-0022-0) is part of GDOT’s Low Impact Bridge Program (LIBP) which has been developed to provide expedited project delivery for bridge projects with few anticipated impediments. The existing bridge measures 64 feet (ft) (20 meters [m]) in length by 25.1 ft (7.7 m) in width. The existing right-of-way (ROW) along this section of CR 168/James Rogers Rd was not known at the time of the current survey. Since the project is in a preliminary concept phase, an Environmental Survey Boundary (ESB) was defined as the limits of the survey area. The ESB for this project has been defined as an area running 500 ft (152 m) from the bridge’s existing approaches and extending 75 ft (23 m) from the CR 168/James Rogers Rd centerline, measuring 1,064 ft (324 m) in length by 150 ft (46 m) in width. The ESB encompasses approximately 2.6 acres (1.1 hectares) in total area.

Prior to the start of fieldwork, background research revealed that no previous archaeological surveys or sites have been conducted or identified within a one-kilometer (km) radius of the ESB. During the survey, 20 shovel tests were excavated within the ESB, 17 of which were negative for cultural material. Nine planned shovel tests were located within a pond that occupies the Hardage Ford Creek floodplain; these shovel tests could not be reasonably offset and were recorded “No Dig”. As a result of the survey, one new archaeological site was recorded just north of Hardage Ford Creek.

Site 9MR40 is a precontact lithic and ceramic artifact scatter located approximately 10 m north of Hardage Ford Creek and along both sides of CR 168/James Rogers Rd. The site is oriented northeast to southwest and is ovular in shape. Site 9MR40 is situated on a low terrace and measures 78 m (256 ft) in length by 45 m (148 ft) in width at an elevation of roughly 79 m (259 ft) above mean sea level (amsl). Due to the limits of the ESB, the site could not be fully delineated to the west. In addition to shovel testing, one 1x1 m test unit (TU) was placed within the site boundaries. The site is represented by a total of ten positive shovel tests, one TU, and approximately 138 cultural artifacts, all of which were recovered from subsurface contexts. The cultural deposit was located within sandy soil generally between 20 and 60 centimeters below the surface (cmbs). Six ceramic fragments, 130 undiagnostic lithic debitage, and two projectile points/knives (PP/Ks) were recovered.

Horizontal artifact distributions across 9MR40 are considerably more diffuse east of the existing roadway, although this finding may be skewed due to the excavation of the TU west of the road. Diagnostic artifacts in general, however, were recovered in higher frequencies in the western portion of the site. Ceramic artifacts recovered are consistent with the Early and Middle Woodland Swift Creek Plain and Complicated Stamped ceramic traditions. In addition, survey recovered Tallahassee and Hernando PP/Ks which are known Early and Middle Woodland period point types, respectively. In Marion County cultural representations of the Early and Middle Woodland periods are sparse; however regionally, the periods are well represented, especially to the west in neighboring Chattahoochee County where cultural surveys have been more numerous.

The artifact assemblage contains examples of Early and Middle Woodland period diagnostics, found within a relatively undisturbed context. The deposit demonstrates good stratification between the components indicating separate occupation phases at 9MR40. Although the convergence points between the components demonstrates some vertical diffusion, the deposit appears to retain good integrity of materials and location. However, the assemblage, absence of features, and rote comparative site examples from within the region indicate that 9MR40 lacks integrity of association with important research questions. Therefore, within the ESB the site lacks significant data potential under Criterion D of the NRHP. Since the site could not be fully delineated due to the limits of the survey area, the overall eligibility of the site should be considered unknown under Criterion D of the NRHP. The unknown area of the site, which is located outside of the ESB, should be considered an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA). It is recommended that the ESA be demarcated with Orange Barrier Fencing (OBF) where appropriate to ensure no construction or ground disturbing activity occurs within the unknown areas of the site.