Phase I and Phase II Cultural Resources Investigations of the Proposed Reconstruction Segments along U.S. Highway 27 in Early, Clay, and Randolph Counties, Georgia

In October 1995 the Georgia Department of Transportation contracted with Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. and Brockington and Associates, Inc. to conduct archaeological investigations. These investigations were associated with improvements along U.S. Highway 27 in Clay, Early, and Randolph Counties, Georgia. Two levels of archaeological inquiry were addressed: (1) a Phase I survey of segments of the Highway 27 corridor; and (2) a Phase II evaluation of archaeological sites located along the improvement corridor recommended as potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Phase I activities resulted in the identification of five prehistoric sites, two of which were included in the Phase II portion of the project. In addition to these two sites, Phase II testing was also conducted at eight previously recorded sites. Two of the sites investigated during the Phase II part of this project exhibited dominant historic occupations (9RH32 and 9RH41); the remaining eight sites exhibited dominant prehistoric occupations spanning the Late Archaic through Mississippian Periods. Ten of the sites investigated during the course of this investigation have limited research potential; mitigation of impact at these sites has been achieved at the Phase II level of investigation. Each of these sites is recommended ineligible for the NRHP. Sites 9RH27 and 9CY161, both prehistoric sites, exhibit the potential to address research questions pertaining to Native American utilization of the region and are recommended eligible for the NRHP. Site 9RH41, a historic tenant occupation, has demonstrated the potential to address research questions pertaining to the tenant farm system in this region and is also recommended eligible for the NRHP under Criterion D.