Phase II National Register Testing and Evaluation of Site 9WG141, Washington County, Georgia

This report presents the results of Phase II testing and evaluation of Site 9WG141, a previously recorded archeological site located within Washington County, Georgia. Fieldwork was conducted by R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc., between January 31 and February 7, 2002 on behalf of the Southern Natural Gas Company, a subsidiary of El Paso Corporation. Fieldwork was conducted to assess the impact that the proposed South System Expansion II Pipeline Project (HP#990521004) may have on this potentially significant cultural resource. The research was designed to assess the stratigraphic integrity of the site, the spatial distribution of the associated archeological deposits, and the nature of cultural deposits and features that may lie within the site area. Site 9WG141, an artifact scatter dating from the Late Archaic/Gulf Formational period, occupies an undulating landform that is bisected by an unnamed tributary of Little Tiger Creek. Site 9WG141 is situated along the southern terminus of Access Road AR-WA-02, where it intersects with the proposed South Systems Expansion II pipeline corridor. During Phase II National Register testing and evaluation of Site 9WG141, 934 prehistoric and 4 historic artifacts were collected from the site area. Of the 65 prehistoric stone tools recovered as a result of this investigation, 16 originated from disturbed contexts; including a single Late Archaic/Terminal Contracting Stem projectile point. In addition, a small cluster of historic cultural material was located near the boundary of the site, i.e., on Access Road AR-WA-02. This locus yielded temporally diagnostic material that dated from both the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Phase II National Register testing along the extent of Access Road AR-WA-02 confirmed heavy disturbance to this portion of the site area via prior road grading, logging of adjacent woodlands, and flooding along the tributary of Little Tiger Creek. In addition, intermingling of historic and prehistoric cultural material indicated a lack of depositional integrity of the prehistoric component. Although the historic artifacts were recovered from a discrete area, stratigraphic integrity was lacking. Furthermore, the portion of Site 9WG141 situated within the proposed Southern Natural Gas Company pipeline corridor, in general, exhibited poor depositional integrity. Only 44 percent (409 of 934) of the artifacts originated from possibly intact cultural deposits and no cultural features were identified. Due to the heavy degree of disturbance documented throughout the site area and the paucity of intact cultural deposits identified, neither the prehistoric nor the historic component of Site 9WG141 retains research potential or the qualities of significance as defined by the National Register of Historic Places criteria for evaluation (36 CFR 60.4 [a-d]). No additional testing of Site 9WG141 is recommended prior to construction of the proposed Southern Natural Gas Company South System Expansion II project. A management summary letter describing the results of Phase II National Register eligibility testing and evaluation of Site 9WG141 was submitted to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Historic Site Division, Historic Preservation Section on March 15, 2002. In a letter submitted to R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc., dated March 28, 2002, the aforementioned agency agreed with the findings of that document (Appendix V).