Archaeological Data Recovery at the Waldburg Street Site (9CH1039), Savannah, Georgia

The study area is located in urban Savannah, Georgia, which is located on a high marine terrace on the Savannah River in Chatham County, approximately 6 miles from the river's mouth (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1974; U.S. Geological Survey 1981). The Waldburg Street site is located on a low ridge in a tract bounded by Wheaton, Ash, and Henry streets, and South Boundary Frontage Road (formerly Bee Street). The study area is currently vegetated in a heavily landscaped maritime hardwood forest with an extensive grass and herbaceous understory. Public housing that previously covered the area has been razed and much of the rubble removed. Most of the utility lines that previously served the area have been disconnected. A series of streets that formerly crossed the study area but are no longer extant include Bolton, Genoa, Mace, and Waldburg streets. The Waldburg Street site, contains a buried deposit of early historic artifacts, midden and features that promises to enlighten our society on early life on the outskirts of Savannah. The potential for important Revolutionary War and Civil War components also was recognized from historical research, although no artifacts or features specifically linked to these events were identified. The Waldburg Street site was deemed eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. After consultation with representatives from the City of Savannah, Southern Research was contracted to prepare this research design for archaeological data recovery at the Waldburg Street site. A more detailed description of the Waldburg Street site is presented later in this research design and in Elliott (2003).