F00852 Feature Report along Darien River, HP-230113-005, McIntosh County, GA

The project area consists of an Isolated Find projectile point located in 2006 by a base employee (Figure 1). The project area lies in the northern portion of what base forestry officials have delineated as Forest Stand 8 (DS-8) and is just to the east of what doubles as a crude forest access road and fire break (Figures 2 and 3). The entire project area was open for logging purposes between 2002 and 2003. Prior to 2002, forestry officials and historic aerials indicate that the area was heavily forested and activities of this type were not visible or noted {Figure 4). As a result of the heavy logging, most of the project area was stripped of timber (Figure 5). The ground surface was impacted such that topsoil is visibly mixed with reddish clay subsoils or subsoil is exposed altogether (Figure 6). In addition to the disturbance from logging activities, granicnlar gravels have been added along the two-track road as part of various stabilization efforts and there is evidence of soil erosion (Figure 7). Current vegetation consists of dense young sapling pines and dense, low lying briars and berry bushes (Figure 8).

The purpose of the site visit on 30 May 2007 was to conduct a series of shovel tests to determine the extent, if any, of subsurface archaeological remains possibly related to the isolated find. Shovel tests were placed 15 meters apart extending in cardinal directions from the isolated find (Figure 9). These tests consistently revealed 5-7 cm of topsoil overlying dark brown silty loam and sterile, reddish-yellow clay subsoil (Figures 10 and 11). All shovel tests were negative for archaeological material.

In summary, no previously recorded archaeological sites are located within the vicinity of the isolated find. Visual reconnaissance of the project area did not identify any archaeological resources. The entire area of Forest Stand 8 bas been impacted by logging and associated activities. The extent of the damage lasted of a minimum a year. As a result, impacts include heavy soil disruption, grading associated with construction of access roads, and backfill from all of these activities. The potential for intact, previously unidentified, archaeological resources within the vicinity of the isolated find is considered to be extremely low. Investigation of the area definitively indicated that there is no intact buried archaeological site at the location and that it is very likely the projectile point was an isolated occurrence without any other archaeological context. No additional investigation or preservation measures are recommended.