Between May 31 and June 4, 2021, Brockington and Associates, Inc. (Brockington) conducted Phase II archaeological testing of Site 9LS344, a pre-contact artifact scatter located southwest of the city of Dublin in Laurens County, Georgia. This investigation was carried out for Hussey Gay Bell, Savannah, Georgia as part of certification for the Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) program.
The goal of this investigation was to further evaluate the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility of Site 9LS344. Specific objectives include refining site boundaries, collecting artifact samples, assessing the potential for intact archaeological deposits, and assessing the potential for the sites to address topics regarding past lifeways. These data were used to provide a definitive statement on the sites’ NRHP eligibility. In addition, management recommendations for the site are provided for future preservation, additional research, or clearance for construction.
Based on the results of our Phase II investigation, we recommend Site 9LS344 not eligible for inclusion on the NRHP, and additional management considerations of this resource are not necessary. Observed disturbances to the site include the access road, clear cuts, and push piles of dirt created by heavy machinery. The presence of artifacts at the surface along the southern slope of the ridge indicates the site has been subject to natural and man-made erosion. While deep deposits of artifacts are present, there is not sufficient clarity between soil strata, as artifacts are equally distributed in low quantities in an unidentifiable pre-contact deposit that lacks temporally diagnostic artifacts. The poor site integrity, very poor component clarity, and moderate artifact density suggest that the potential for intact subsurface features and significant artifacts deposits related to the pre-contact components is low. The lack of a substantial artifact density and identifiable features or interpretable remains limited our ability to further address pertinent research questions regarding past activities and cultural lifeways.
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