Phase I Archaeological Investigations of a Proposed Fiber Optic Communications System along the Norfolk Southern Railway Company's Right-Of-Way through Cobb, Clayton, Fulton, DeKalb, and Gwinnett Counties Georgia

A Phase I archeological investigation was conducted by Bums & McDonnell, Inc. for Williams Communications, Inc. The investigation was conducted for the proposed fiber optic communications system to be installed in the right-of-way of the Norfolk Southern Railway Company from Forest Park to Austell and Norcross, Georgia. The purpose of this investigation was to locate and record all cultural resources within the project area and to make preliminary assessment as to their historical significance based on the National Register of Historic Places criteria. The investigation involved a search of files, literature review of all available county histories, and General Land Office field notes and maps at the Department of Natural Resources, Historical Preservation Division in Atlanta, Georgia Archaeological Site Files in Athens, Georgia, and the University of Georgia, Main Library, Georgia Room in Athens, Georgia. This pre-field investigation disclosed all previously recorded archaeological sites and any National Register of Historic Places properties within or near the project area. Following the pre-field research, a field survey was conducted to revisit the four sites recorded within the project area. A recommendation on the historical significance of each site was prepared by evaluating each property against the National Register of Historic Places criteria of significance (36 CFR 60.4). All work was conducted in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guideline for Archeology and Historic Preservation, (48 FR 44742-44742) and the Secretary 's Standards for Identification (48 FR44720-44723). The four archaeological sites located during the records reviews were recorded as adjacent to or in the project area. None of the sites were located within the right-of-way. Therefore, based on the results of the investigations it is the opinion of the investigators that NRHP could not be determined. The proposed fiber optic communication system construction within the right-of-way will have no effect on historically important cultural resources.