An Intensive Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Sparks Rail Spur Project, Cook County, Georgia

While under contract with Reames and Son Construction Company, Inc., Southeastern Horizons, Inc., conducted an intensive Phase I archaeological survey on a parcel of land north of Sparks in Cook County, Georgia (hereafter referred to as the project area). Adverse effects from the construction of a triple rail spur and causeway are expected to impact a wetland, thus a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permit is required under the Clean Water Act. The purpose of the intensive Phase I investigation was to locate any archaeological sites (if any) in the Area of Potential Effects (APE) of the undertaking and to evaluate their potential for nomination to National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The investigation was mandated by the cultural resource management requirements associated with a USACE permit application (#200602250; GAHPD Reference: HP-06116-001) under the authority of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and its implementing regulation 36 CFR Part 800 (Protection of Historic Properties), as amended. The field work was conducted by Arvid H. Anderson, T. Brian Floyd (Field Director), and S. Dwight Kirkland (Principal Investigator) between 16 and 18 January 2007. The survey located two historic sites, three artifact isolates, an debris scatter interpreted as a trash dump, and three modern residential ruins. Only the two historic sites qualified for evaluation under Section 106. The recovered artifacts were cleaned and curated according to the Georgia Council of Professional Archaeologists (GCPA) guidelines and they await final approval of this report by the USACOE and GAHPD before delivery to the University of Georgia Laboratory of Archaeology, a federally approved curation facility. Following the artifact and field data analysis, the two historic sites 9CX14 and 9CX15 were recommended as ineligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places because of a lack of archaeological integrity. No further archaeological work at the sites, the isolates, the trash dump, or the modern residence ruins is required.