In early March, 1999 Southern Research, Historic Preservation Consultants, Inc. conducted an archaeological and historical investigation for the Department of Neighborhood Planning and Community Development, City of Savannah of the Liberty Street Parking Lot Number 2, which is the site of a proposed hotel development (Figures 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3). This one-week project employed archaeological backhoe testing and historical research to address the cultural resources in the study area. Two primary research goals guided this research:
1. To make a reasonable effort to determine whether or not burials associated with the 1779 Siege of Savannah were present in the study area. This study concluded that the likelihood of burials within the study area is extremely low.
2. To assess the significance of any other archaeological deposits present in the project area. The study area lies completely within the boundary of the Savannah National Register Landmark District. This research project sought to determine if the archaeological deposits in the study area had the potential to contribute to an increased understanding of the history of Savannah. This study concluded that the area lacks significant archaeological deposits and further study of the lot would not add significantly to our understanding of Savannah's past.
This report is organized into six chapters. Chapter 2 contains a brief description of the project area. Chapter 3 details the historical methods and fieldwork and laboratory methods employed by the study. Chapter 4 contains a history of the study area beginning with the Revolutionary War period, followed by a discussion of Curry Town Ward, and a summary of previous archaeological research in the vicinity. Chapter 5 presents the results of the archaeological testing. Chapter 6 includes a summary of the project findings and recommendations for future management. This is followed by a complete list of references cited and three appendices. Appendix 1 contains an inventory of artifacts collected by the testing project. Appendix 2 includes a resume of the Project's Principal Investigator. Appendix 3 contains a copy of the Georgia Site form for the study site.
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