Addendum Phase I Archaeological Survey of the CR 134/Rice Road Bridge Replacement at Falling Creek (Structure ID 037-5013-0), Calhoun County, Georgia

In October and November 2021 , Edwards-Pitman, Inc. (EP) conducted an addendum Phase I archaeological survey for the proposed bridge replacement (Structure ID 037-5013-0) on County Road (CR) 134/Rice Road over Falling Creek in Calhoun County, Georgia. EP completed this project for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) under contract with Arcadis, and the project is designated as GDOT P. I. No. 0018267, United States Corps of Engineers (USACE) No. SAS-2022-00115. EP's Phase I survey sought to identify and evaluate archaeological sites for their eligibility on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) to facilitate cultural resource management decisions. EP evaluated resources identified within the survey area in accordance with the Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This project is currently state funded; however, a permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act is required. Therefore, the USACE, Savannah District, is the lead federal agency responsible for Section 106 compliance, and they have taken full jurisdiction over this project. The proposed project consists of a bridge replacement (Structure ID 037-5013-0) on CR 134/ Rice Road over Falling Creek in Calhoun County, Georgia, approximately 10.5 kilometers (km) (6.5 miles [mil) north of the town of Morgan. Existing right-of-way (ROW) ranges approximately 30.5-70 meters (m) (100-200 feet [ft]) in total width. No additional ROW would be required as part of the proposed project. The length of the proposed project would be approximately 304.8 m {1 ,000 ft). The bridge (Structure ID 037-5013-0) was initially surveyed as a candidate for the federally funded Low Impact Bridge Program (LIBP) in 2019, but it did not move forward. The project is now moving forward as a state funded design build bridge replacement and has recently been assigned P.I. No. 0018267. Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) conducted the initial archaeological survey for the proposed bridge replacement on CR 134/Rice Road over Falling Creek (Structure ID 037-5013-0) in 2019. As described in the project's initial archaeological survey report, the width of the project's survey area extended 22.3 m (75 ft) from either side of the center line of CR 134/ Rice Road, for a total width of 45. 7 m (150 ft), and it ran 152.4 m (500 ft) in either direction from the center of the bridge, for a total length of 305 m (1 ,000 ft). This survey identified site 9CU213 northeast of Falling Creek. Site 9CU213 is a Precontact lithic scatter dating to the Middle Archaic period based on the recovery of a diagnostic Morrow Mountain projectile poinUknife (PP/K). The site was recommended as of unknown eligibility for the NRHP under Criterion D since it could not be delineated fully, but further testing was recommended to clarify its data potential (Donnan and Pappas 2020). The addendum survey area for the proposed project includes all land within an Environmental Survey Boundary (ESB), which Arcadis provided to EP. The current addendum ESB extends beyond the limits of the initial 2019 ESB in every direction. The current ESB measures approximately 385 m (1,263.1 ft) in length, 91.4 m (300 ft) in width, and covers 3.8 hectares (ha) (9.5 acres [ac]). It is designed specifically to encompass all areas of existing ROW, temporary and permanent easements, and possible/foreseeable ground disturbance as a result of the current project. When design is complete, the project’s Area of Potential Effect (APE) will likely be smaller than the ESB that is shown. Prior to fieldwork, EP reviewed Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System (GNAHRGIS) online database and the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF) at the University of Georgia to obtain records of previously completed archaeological investigations that overlap the current addendum survey area, as well as previously recorded sites near the addendum survey area. This review revealed that only the original survey overlaps the current addendum survey area, which resulted in the identification of the only previously recorded site identified within a 1 km (0.6 mi) radius, 9CU213. This site lies within the current addendum survey area. EP’s addendum archaeological survey was completed in accordance with GDOT’s Environmental Procedures Manual (EPM) (2013), the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and the Georgia Environmental Policy Act (GEPA). It also follows the standards set forth by the Georgia Standards and Guidelines for Archaeological Investigations (Georgia Council of Professional Archaeologists [GCPA] 2019) and National Register Bulletin 24, Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning (Parker 1985). Survey methods for this project included visual inspection and systematic shovel testing. VHB’s archaeological investigation (Donnan and Pappas 2020) was utilized as prior survey coverage for the current investigation. EP’s addendum Phase I archaeological survey revisited the previously identified Middle Archaic lithic scatter site 9CU213, which expanded the site’s boundaries to the north and west and also identified a general Woodland and/or Mississippi period component based on the recovery of two undecorated sand tempered sherds. The site could not be delineated fully due to survey area limits. The identified portion of the site possesses subsurface integrity and may possess significant data potential under Criterion D, but a confident assessment cannot be made with the data available. Therefore, EP agrees with the prior assessment by VHB and recommends the site as of unknown eligibility for the NRHP under Criterion D. EP further recommends that 9CU213 be avoided during the current project and established as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) bordered with orange barrier fencing (OBF) to protect it from construction-related impacts. If the site cannot be avoided, Phase II testing is recommended. Additional sampling is necessary to develop a more complete picture regarding site significance within the project’s APE, the precise limits of which have yet to be determined. EP also identified two isolated finds during its investigation. Isolated finds do not meet the definition of an archaeological site, and they are therefore not evaluated for listing in the NRHP (GCPA 2019).