Archaeological Reconnaissance Proposed 201 Wastewater Treatment Facility, Midville, Georgia

The purpose of this report is to describe the methods employed and results achieved through an archaeological reconnaissance of the proposed site of the Midville wastewater treatment plant site, Burke County, Georgia. The reconnaissance was conducted at the request of Besson and Pope-Consulting Engineers, Inc. of Augusta, Georgia, and involved a two person survey crew.

The survey was conducted at Midville, Georgia just north of the Burke County line and the Ogeechee River. The study area is located on the southeast side of Midville in a cultivated field on the Ogeechee River floodplain (see Figure 1). Fieldwork was carried out on parts of two days, August 30 and 31, 1978.

Because of the ground cover present (soybeans), fieldwork took longer than expected. Permission to walk through the field was sought and obtained from the land owner, Mr. Kelly, before entering the field and damage to the soybean plants was kept to a minimum by walking along furrows, brushing back the plants and examining the exposed ground. No shovel cuts were made. Three auger borings were placed at the edge of the field along a dirt road to test the depth of soil horizons and cultural material. The borings were deemed necessary since the impact area appears to be within the confines of a fairly extensive prehistoric period site. A complete explanation of the methods and results will be presented in Chapter IV of this report.

We wish to thank Mr. Kelly for permission to survey his field and Besson and Pope-Consulting Engineers, Inc. for providing excellent maps which aided in locating the project boundaries.