A Reconnaissance Survey of a 546 Acre Tract in Bryan County, Georgia

In early June of 1995, Applied Technology and Management, Inc. contracted with Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. to conduct a reconnaissance-level cultural resources survey of a 546 acre tract in Bryan County, Georgia. The tract is located adjacent to Interstate 95, just south of the town of Richmond Hill (Figure 1). Elbow Swamp forms the southern boundary of the property. Most of the property (305 acres) is low-lying, and consists of wetlands. The wetlands will act as a filter for the final treatment of water released from the Richmond Hill wastewater treatment plant. No effects to cultural resources can be identified with this project. There will simply be a greater flow of water through the wetlands. The goal of the reconnaissance survey was to determine if there was the potential that intact, significant, archeological or historical resources were present within the tract, assess possible project-related impacts to these resources, and if any further study (an intensive survey) was needed. The survey followed draft (1992) guidelines published by the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office. According to these guidelines, a main result of a reconnaissance survey is the "prediction of the archeological sensitivity of locations....considering, (a) past and present uses of the land, (b) past ecological settings, (c) extent of existing land disturbance, (d) nature of the proposed project activities, and (e) survey results. Item (c), the extent of existing land disturbance, is important to the conclusions presented in this report. Virtually all of the area that could contain prehistoric or historic habitation sites, i.e., non-wetland areas, have been extensively disturbed by clear cutting and tree planting. The integrity of any archeological sites in these areas has been severely compromised.