And the Coosa Between Them: Archaeological Investigations of Sites 9Fl203 and 9Fl206, Floyd County, Georgia

In 1994, Brockington and Associates, Inc., undertook data recovery excavations of sites 9FL203 and 9FL206, Floyd County, Georgia. The investigations were designed to mitigate the potential adverse effects of the construction of the western Rome bypass highway. The sites are located on opposite banks of the Coosa River, west of the City of Rome. The l992 testing had revealed site 9FL206 to contain a Swift Creek component with intact features, while site 9FL203 was dominated by an apparent Kellogg component. The excavations were undertaken in accordance with the Data Recovery Plan. The investigations have recovered significant data from the two sites, thereby mitigating any potential adverse effects. The proposed highway construction should be allowed to proceed, with the condition that the burial at 9FL206 be preserved in place in accordance with the approved treatment plan. The investigations at 9FL203 included the hand excavation of three 4 by 4 m blocks, the machine-assisted stripping of three 40 by 2 m transects, and the backhoe excavation of five deep trenches to investigate the geomorphology of the site landform. In addition to the Woodland component at 9FL203, Archaic (Early and Late) and Mississippian (Lamar)components were identified. The assessment of site function was hampered by the identification of only two cultural features (a biface cache and a post stain) and by poor preservation of organic remains. Across the river at 9FL206, the investigations included the hand excavation of twenty 2 by 2 m units, distributed into five blocks. The backhoe excavation of three deep trenches was conducted to investigate the geomorphology of the site landform. In addition to the Swift Creek component, Archaic (Early and Late) and Mississippian (Etowah) components were identified at the site. Features identified at 9FL206 (n=14) include a burial, post stains, rock clusters, and shallow pits.