Cultural Resources Assessment Survey Addemdum Underwater Archaeological Investigation of State Road 119 Bridge Replacement Over the Ogeechee River, Bulloch and Effingham Counties, Georgia

This report serves as an addendum to a terrestrial Phase I archaeology survey conducted by New South Associates, Inc. titled Phase I Archaeology Survey, Propose Replacement of the State Road 119 Over Ogeechee River (Bridge 031-0050-0) and Overflow (Bridge 031-0049-0), Bulloch and Effingham Counties, Georgia. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is proposing to replace the current State Road (SR) 119 Bridge over the Ogeechee River (GDOT PI#0013804). Proposed activities include ground disturbances associated with bridge construction possibly including, but not limited to, piling installment, anchoring, and debris removal. SEARCH assisted GDOT with its obligations under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act by conducting an archaeological investigation of the Area of Potential Effect (APE) and an additional 100-foot (30-meter) Expanded Survey Corridor (ESC) prior to construction activities. SEARCH conducted historical and archival research on the SR 119 Bridge crossing over the Ogeechee River and surrounding areas and developed a research design prior to conducting fieldwork. In total, SEARCH maritime archaeologists spent two days on the water, one for a remote-sensing survey and one for diver investigations. Fieldwork took place on March 28 and 30, 2018, and followed methodology guidelines established by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Historical Preservation Division (Archaeological Assessment Report Guidelines and Components).

SEARCH collected magnetic and side-scan sonar data to assess the presence or absence of potential submerged cultural resources within the APE and ESC. SEARCH also reviewed the prehistory, history, and geologic background of the region, with specific attention paid to the maritime history of the Ogeechee River. Finally, SEARCH identified previous archaeological investigations and reported sites within the area to guide the development of the project research design and assist with interpreting the remote-sensing data.

SEARCH identified no magnetic anomalies in the survey data that are indicative of potential submerged cultural resources. Four acoustic contacts (S004, S016, S023, and S024) were identified as series of pilings within the APE. Acoustic Contacts S016 and S024 were recommended for diver investigation due to their location and similarities between the four contacts. Archival research and informant interviews identified these pilings as supports for the previous SR 119 Bridge. SEARCH obtained the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF) number 9BU131 for Acoustic Contacts S004, S016, S023, S024, and a pile of concrete rubble on the eastern shoreline. SEARCH believes that although the pilings represent the structural support for the pre-1956 bridge, the extant bridge lacks the requisite site integrity for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as a result of the bridge’s destruction. Additionally, SEARCH recommends that additional archaeological investigation or archival research is unlikely to yield further understanding of the bridge’s context. SEARCH recommends no additional work on 9BU131 and cultural resource clearance for the proposed SR 119 Bridge APE.