Archeological Data Recovery at 9JO6 the Arthur Tarver Site Jones County, Georgia

Data Recovery was conducted on a 0.84 ha portion of the Tarver site, 9JO6, located on the Fall Line near Macon, Georgia. The Tarver site occupies most of a broad ridge crest that overlooks the confluence of Town Creek and the Ocmulgee River. The investigated portion of the site will be impacted by construction of a dam and reservoir for the Macon Water Authority. The impoundment requires a Corps of Engineers 404 permit and one facet of the permitting process is the consideration of adverse impacts to cultural resources. The Tarver site, which had been previously located and archeologically tested was determined a significant site. The dam was designed to cause the least impact to the site. The portion that could not be avoided was salvaged by excavation and is described in this report. The data recovery conducted in the fall of 1992 consisted of test pit excavation (24 m2), backhoe trenching (408 m2) and machine-aided excavation of four large blocks (1283 M2). The most intensive aboriginal occupation in the project area is attributed to the Late Archaic period. Radiocarbon dates recovered from two Late Archaic features associated with a well defined structure were 3900 ± 60 B.P. and 4100 ± 60 B.P. Using data from excavated features and comparative data from previously excavated sites in the area, a new Late Archaic phase, the Tuft Springs phase, is named for the Macon Plateau area. The suggested date range for the new phase, which is characterized by predominantly plain fiber-tempered pottery and Savannah River Stemmed projectile points, is ca 2200 to 1800 B.P. Data recovery also produced material and features associated with Woodland, Historic Creek and late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century farmstead occupations. The Historic Creek occupation was a primary concern of data recovery but our investigations indicate that the proposed construction will not impact the most intensively occupied portion of the site. Most of the Creek occupation site area is located beyond the limits of construction and will be protected from future development.