Preliminary Diver Hands-on Evaluation of Selected Anomalies for the Archaeology of the Civil War Naval Operations on the Ogeechee River, Bryan and Chatham Counties, Georgia

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division applied for and received a grant in 2004 from the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, American Battlefield Protection Program to document the remains of the Civil War Naval Operations that took place on the Ogeechee River between 1862-1864. Specifically, the focus of the investigation was the search for submerged cultural resources associated with the naval engagements and the blockade efforts on the Ogeechee River during the American Civil War. The initial documentation consisted of archival research, a marine remote sensing survey and data analysis that was carried out April 10-24, 2005 by Panamerican Consultants, Inc. of Memphis, Tennessee. The remote sensing survey identified 696 magnetic and 329 side scan sonar anomalies within the 20-mile project area. Of these anomalies, 93 were determined to represent potentially significant cultural resources based on their magnetic or sonar attributes or their location. Preliminary diver hands-on evaluation was carried out July 21-22 and November 14-17, 2005 and sought to identify a representative sample of the anomalies identified during the remote sensing survey. Twenty-two anomalies were chosen for evaluation based on their magnetic or sonar attributes or locations that correspond to high probability areas based on historical documentation. No submerged cultural resources were identified during this operation and further evaluation of the anomalies is recommended.