An Archeological Survey of 942 Acres on the Drakies and Mulberry Grove Plantation Tracts, Chatham County, Georgia

In the fall of 2002 and winter of 2005, Southeastern Archeological Services conducted an archeological survey of approximately 942 acres on the Drakies and Mulberry Grove Plantation tracts, now owned by the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA). The GPA plans to construct warehouses and other facilities on the property; therefore the work was performed to ensure that the GPA is in compliance with state regulations (the Georgia Environmental Policy Act--GEPA) concerning the identification and protection of significant archeological sites on state controlled property. The survey included a background and literature review, an intensive field survey, laboratory analysis, and the preparation of reports. Research shows that the history of the tracts goes back to the early colonial period (1730s) and that most of the early historic settlement was situated on the Savannah River, east of the survey area (Granger 1947). Drakies and Mulberry Grove were primarily rice plantations, but cotton and corn were also grown in upland areas. Following the Civil War and the emancipation of the slaves (and the torching of the main houses on the river), the settlement pattern became more dispersed. Low lying rice fields were abandoned and more of the uplands was farmed. The survey located 41 archeological sites and 26 isolated artifacts (also called artifact occurrences). On the basis of the current information, one historic and three prehistoric sites may have research potential. The historic site (9CH 1087), was a row of five small cabins occupied by African American sharecroppers at the turn of the twentieth century. The row of cabins is analogous to antebellum slave settlements (a number of which have been archeologically investigated), so archeological and historical research has the potential to provide complementary information about the lifeways of agricultural workers during the postbellum years. The three prehistoric sites (9CH 1007, 9CH 1078 and 9CH 1082) that may have research potential all date to the Savannh/Irene phases (ca. A.D. 1300 - 1500). They are relatively small sites characterized by lithic debris and broken pottery. In some areas on the sites, multiple pots were broken, possibly indicating that the sites functioned as more than temporary camp sites. Little is known about Savannah/Irere phase settlement types in localities away from the Irene mound site and the Atlantic coastal strand. Therefore, additional archeological investigations could yield new information about this time period. If avoidance of these sites is not possible, we recommend implementing a testing phase to determine if they have significance.