Archaeological Investigations of a Proposed Expansion of Campground (Six New Tent-Only Camp Sites) in the Florence Marina State Park, Stewart County, Georgia

The Archaeological Investigations Proposed Expansion of Campground (Six New Tent-Only Camp Sites) Florence Marina State Park Stewart County, GA conducted on December 2, 2005 was by GDOT. Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites proposes adding six tent-only camp sites to an existing campground at Florence Marina State Park in Stewart County (Figure 1). Staff Archaeologist Ronnie Rogers conducted a survey of the proposed project area on November 30, 2005. No archaeological resources were discovered in the project area. The project area is located at the northeastern corner of the existing campground. The project area is approximately 120 meters N/S by 40 meters E/W and has been used for overflow camping. Several wooden tables and pedestal-mounted grills are present. A paved park road marks the western boundary; a dirt road runs along the tree line to the east. A drainage ditch runs along the southern end and a dirt road runs across the north end. The surface slopes gently downward toward the east, with probably less than 0.5 meter of relief. The overflow area contains several mature pines and hardwoods and differs from the surrounding woods only in the absence of undergrowth. A review of the Georgia Archaeological Site File database indicated that no archaeological sites had been discovered in the area. Review of a previous report of a survey of the southern portion of the park and subsequent excavation of trenches and units at the location of the educational center demonstrated that both prehistoric and historic resources are present in the vicinity. Historic resources are related to the old town of Florence, and many of the prehistoric or historic Indian resources may be related to a Creek Indian village recorded in the area. An early map indicates that there were Indian houses near the project area (Reproduction of 1827 plat showing Creek town of Schokalah (Sowokli) - Plan of original Lee County, District 22 Surveyor General Department. Shown in Figure 3.1, page 34 of Archaeological and Historical Investigations at Florence Marina State Park, Walter F. George Reservoir, Stewart County, Georgia, R. Jerald Ledbetter and Chad O. Braley, authors. Report dated August 31, 1989, prepared by Southeastern Archeological Services for Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources). There was no surface visibility in the project area, so two parallel transects of shovel tests spaced at ca. 20-meter intervals were dug across the project area (Figure 2). Soil was screened through a'/4" hand screen, soil profiles were recorded, and the holes were backfilled. None of the fourteen shovel tests produced cultural material. Soil was very thin, with a thin layer of recent humus over clay along the east transect. The clay was of a pale bluish color mottled with yellowish brown clay. The yellowish brown component increased with depth. The most northern test on the east line was dug to approximately 45-50 cmbs (centimeters below surface) in an attempt to determine whether the clay encountered so close to the surface was an artificial cap. The test began to fill with water at ca. 30 cmbs. Four of the shovel tests along the western line exhibited soil profiles that included up to 15 cm of gray clay loam over the mottled clay subsoil.