Phase II Archaeological Site Evaluation at 9BN842, 9BN843, 9BN858, 9BN859, 9BN879, and 9BN884, Bryan County, Georgia

In October and November 2006, Environmental Services, Inc., (ESI) conducted Phase II level archaeological testing at seven archaeological sites at the Genesis Point development tract in Bryan County, Georgia, including 9BN842, 9BN843, 9BN857, 9BN858, 9BN859, 9BN879, and 9BN884. The work was completed for Fletcher Management Company, and included digging reduced interval shovel tests in areas of artifact concentration and hand-excavating a series of formal excavation units that totaled 36 square meters (m) in size. 9BN842 revealed artifacts dating to the Late Archaic, Middle Woodland, Late Woodland/Early Mississippian, and Middle and Late Mississippian cultural periods. 9BN843 yielded evidence of cultural components dating to the Early and Middle Woodland periods. 9BN857 contained materials dating to the Early Woodland, the Late Woodland/Early Mississippian, and the Middle Mississippian periods. 9BN858 contained materials dating to the Middle Woodland, the Late Woodland/Early Mississippian, and the Middle and Late Mississippian periods. 9BN859 revealed prehistoric artifacts dating to the Late Mississippian period and historic items that supported a Late 18th to Early 19th Century period of site use. 9BN879 yielded artifacts dating to the Late Archaic, the Middle Woodland, and the Late Mississippian cultural periods. 9BN884 exhibited components dating to the Late Archaic, Early and Middle Woodland, and Late Mississippian periods. The results of testing indicate that none of the seven sites exhibit characteristics that would make them eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. Sites 9BN859 and 9BN879 showed extensive disturbances to cultural strata by land-use activities; 9BN842 contained few intact cultural features and exhibited low artifact density, and the remaining four sites (9BN843, 9BN857, 9BN858, and 9BN884) yielded low artifact counts and lacked intact cultural features. No further archaeological investigation or preservation is recommended for these seven sites.