Archeological Survey of the Oconee Point Villas Tract Putnam County, Georgia

Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. (SAS) conducted an intensive archeological survey of a privately-owned 4.5 acre (2.1 ha) tract known as Lake Oconee Point Villas and the adjoining narrow strip of land and a small island owned by The Georgia Power Company. The total survey area was approximately seven acres. The small island was added to the survey area after consultation between the principal investigator and Lee Glenn (Georgia Power's Lake Oconee Land Management Office). The inclusion of the small island means that all of the Georgia Power property immediately adjoining the 4.5 acre tract has been covered by an intensive archeological survey. The field survey was conducted by the principal investigator on November 1, 2005. SAS was requested to conduct the archeological survey by Widner & Associates, Inc. of Macon, Georgia for permitting purposes. The current owner and developer of the property is Lee Moore, president of the Shaw Group Retail Consultants of Eatonton, Georgia. The survey area is located on a ridge projection that now lies adjacent to the waters of Lake Oconee (Lick Creek, a tributary of the Oconee River) in eastern Putnam County Georgia. The property consists of a ridge projection that is drained by Lick Creek on the east and a minor tributary on the west. The primary land use of the area for the past two centuries has been as agriculture. Most recently the tract has been utilized as a recreational vehicle camp ground. The project area have been impacted by road construction, grading, limited commercial development, and shoreline erosion. The survey resulted in the discovery of four archeological sites (Figure 1). Two sites (9PM452 and 9PM454) are previously recorded prehistoric sites that extend above the lake onto Georgia Power property. The two sites were originally recorded during the Wallace Mitigation Survey in late 1977. The two newly discovered sites, 9PM 1504 and 9PM 1505, represent similar but lower density prehistoric artifact scatters. Site 9PM 1504 also contains a twentieth century component.