Phase I Archaeological Survey of the State Route 191 Over Scull Shoal Creek Bridge Replacement, Madison County, Georgia

During November 2006, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed location for the State Route (SR) 191 over Scull Shoal Creek Bridge Replacement. The project area is located 5.5 kilometers (km) northeast of Danielsville in Madison County, Georgia. The goal of the survey was to locate and evaluate archaeological sites within the Area of Potential Effect (APE) of the proposed undertaking, so that potential effects to any resources identified could be evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The project was conducted under a contract with Street Smarts, Inc. A review of the Georgia Site Files at the University of Georgia in Athens showed that one previously identified archaeological site had been reported in the project APE. Site 9MD8, a prehistoric lithic and ceramic scatter, is shown east of SR 191. Almost no information regarding 9MD8 is given on the site form and its mapped location is apparently based on reports from local informants. No artifacts were recovered during the current study, which was restricted to a relatively narrow strip of right-of-way (ROW) along SR 191. During the course of the investigations, one archaeological site, 9MD 191, a former bridge and road bed location, was recorded in the APE. Due to its low research potential, the site is recommended as ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Based on the results of the survey, EPEI recommends that no further archaeological work be undertaken in the proposed APE. An antebellum burial ground, designated 9MD192, is located approximately 265 meters (m) north of the APE on the property of Franklin Fortson. It was shown to EPEI staff by a neighbor. One marked and fenced grave was noted and depressions and pieces of field stone could indicate the presence of additional graves. Because 9MD192 is located outside the project APE, it was recorded but not further investigated during the survey. Its eligibility for the NRHP is presently unknown.