Archaeological Investigations at the Shadrack Bogan (9Gw299), Gwinnett County, Georgia

This report presents the results of archeological survey, testing and data recovery excavations at the Shadrack Bogan Site (9GW299), a multicomponent prehistoric and historic site on an alluvial terrace of Ivy Creek in northern Gwinnett County. The site could not be avoided during the expansion and redesign of the Interstate 85-State Route 20 interchange, so data recovery was conducted in February 1996. Excavations consisted of 66 shovel tests, seven lx2 m test units, four block units totaling 51 mz and five geomorphological corings or profiles. The site corresponds spatially to a 15 x 50 m terrace that is about 3 m above Ivy Creek and across the creek from Woodward's Mill, a nineteenth and twentieth century grist mill complex that burned in 1976. The terrace has been subject to flooding throughout the Holocene period. Material is roughly stratified in 150 cm of these alluvial sediments, which are capped by 10 to 15 cm of flood drapes that post-date 1929. A large earthen berm (100 x 25 by 4.5 m) between the terrace and the creek was found to be man-made, probably a spoil pile from highway construction in 1929. The excavations yielded 362 prehistoric sherds, 2352 pieces of chipped and ground stone, 112 kg of fire cracked and unmodified (but cultural) rock, 685 historic period artifacts, and 206 bone fragments. The prehistoric occupation of the site is characterized by a series of brief, non-intensive encampments during the Early Archaic, Middle Archaic, Late Archaic, Early Woodland, Middle/Late Woodland and Early Mississippian periods. Based on diagnostic artifacts and stratigraphic position, occupation was greatest during the Woodland period. The excavations revealed five rock cluster features with no artifacts or organic remains in Late Archaic to Woodland period strata. One of the most common decorated ceramic types is a punctated and incised ware that partially resembles the type Woodstock Incised and appears to spatially co-occur with Mississippian Hamilton points on the site. However, because it is somewhat different and occurs in an absence of Woodstock Stamped pottery, we do not consider it Woodstock Incised. The historic component represents an early nineteenth century frontier dwelling, probably that of the first landowner, Shadrack Bogan. Bogan built the first mill on the property ca. 1821-1823. The initial saw mill was soon followed by a grist mill. No evidence of the saw mill was found at the Bogan Site, so both mills must have been on the south side of the creek. The Bogan site was occupied briefly, perhaps during Bogan's period of ownership; from 1820 to 1831. However, the 189 historic period sherds provide a mean ceramic date of 1802, so it is possible that it was the cabin of a pioneer who settled before the land was acquired from the Cherokee. The historic period assemblage is characterized by creamwares, pearlwares, dark green bottle glass, cut nails and a cache of over 20 musket balls. Bone on the site is virtually all historic and includes pig, deer and butchered bear. The site has been occupied intermittently for over 8000 years because it is situated on a level piece of ground close to a set of shoals. However, the occupation has never been intensive, probably because the landform was subject to frequent flooding.