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Wallace Dam-Eatonton Transmission Line Archaeological Survey, Putnam County, Georgia, Our Project Number Es-1212

Report Number
195
Year of Publication
1979
Abstract

This report details the methods and results of an intensive archaeological survey conducted along a proposed 125 foot wide and 15.4 mile long transmission line corridor in Putnam County, Georgia, at the request of the Georgia Power Company. The survey was conducted by a two man crew consisting of an archaeologist and a survey archaeologist. To supplement the survey a literature and records search was conducted concurrently, and various sources were consulted. Among them are published and available unpublished manuscripts, the National Register of Historic Places, archaeological site files at the University of Georgia and the state archives in Atlanta. All laboratory analysis was conducted at the SSI laboratory at the conclusion of field work.

The corridor stretches from Wallace Dam on the east approximately southwest across Georgia Highway 16 and then west to the existing Plant Hatch transmission line. At the transmission line the corridor turns northwest paralleling the transmission line, terminating at the Eatonton substation.

Approximately 81 per cent of the corridor is partially cleared forest littered with cut and fallen trees and branches. Eighteen per cent is either existing transmission line or pasture and approximately one per cent is deep borrow located near Wallace Dam. All of the corridor had been flagged in the field by Georgia Power, providing excellent guidance to the field crew. Unfortunately a few small areas had been cleared thereby destroying the flagging, and the crew was required to use compass bearings. We do not feel that this in any way detracted from complete coverage of the corridor. Georgia Power also provided excellent aerial photographs and maps, which were of inestimable value in locating sites and access to the corridor.

Field work was begun on January 2, and completed on January 9, 1979 for a total of six field days. During this period the entire 15.4 mile corridor was intensively surveyed on foot, and all archaeological sites were extensively flagged by the field crew. The field methods employed included visual inspection of all roads, gullies, heavy equipment scars, tree falls, and other open areas supplemented by shovel cuts and auger borings in areas of heavy ground cover.