Limited archaeological investigation including visual inspection, passive remote sensing consisting of ground penetrating radar, and hand-excavation of limited test units was conducted at 9DW276 (Rice Farm) located in Dawsonville, Georgia. This field research was performed between January and August, 2019, March 2021, May and June 2021, and October 2021 by faculty, students from University of North Georgia (UNG), and volunteers from the local community. In total, 169 square meters were hand-excavated during the 2019 and 2021 field seasons and approximately 0.5 acres were subjected to archaeological survey, providing evidence of a broad scatter of cultural materials and features; however, the limits of the site remain to be definitively identified. The results of 2019 and 2021 archaeological investigations of 9DW276 suggest that:
1. Pre-contact culturally significant materials are present in plowed areas at the site;
2. Sub-surface archaeological resources, including features of pre-contact, historic-era, and indeterminate temporal association, are present beneath the plow zone where limited test excavations were conducted;
3. All areas of the former agricultural field at the Rice property that remain un-surveyed should be surveyed or systematically tested to better understand the presence of cultural resources across the entire floodplain landform comprising the property; and
4. Subsurface archaeological features are at risk of disturbance and/or destruction due to agricultural activities and possible future development of the site.
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