Phase I Archaeological Survey for a Proposed Bridge Replacement along Killian Hill Road, Gwinnett County, Georgia

The Georgia Department of Transportation proposes to replace the bridge on Killian Hill Road (CR 417) over the Yellow River in Gwinnett County, Georgia. This will entail replacing the existing bridge and raising the current elevation of the bridge and approach road. Since a portion of this work requires expanding beyond the current right-of-way, and since at least some of these areas appear to have the possibility of reasonably undisturbed environments, a cultural resources survey was required. This report documents the design and results of this archaeological survey. It is designed to be in accordance with the requirements of and the regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as amended in 1980 and 1992, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Archaeological and Historic Resources Preservation Act of 1974, the Georgia Environmental Policy Act of 1991, and Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966. On August 16 and 17, 2007, personnel from Ground Truth Research conducted a survey for archaeological resources in the areas intended to be impacted by the bridge replacement. The fieldwork was preceded by a literature review of documents housed at the Georgia State Site Files in Athens, the University of Georgia Library and Special Collections in Athens, and resources maintained at the offices of Ground Truth Research in Decatur. Two archaeological sites were previously identified. All areas intended to be impacted by the raising and replacement of the bridge were examined by means of testing and surface examination within the proposed expanded right-of-way. The area of potential effect of the construction should be restricted to this area. The study area comprises an expanded right-of-way on both sides of the existing roadway over a total distance of approximately 0.61 km (0.38 miles). Available surface exposures were examined and subsurface tests were excavated when these exposures were insufficient. A total of 6 shovel tests was excavated within the primary impact areas. No additional cultural remains were identified from either the surface or subsurface tests. While the proposed impact area overlaps the edge of the site as recorded, the site boundaries as mapped are only a rough approximation of their actual location. The eligibility of this resource is not addressed in this study as no traces of its deposits were detected. The deposits for this site may exist outside of the proposed area of potential effect. The remains of the earlier bridge is within the proposed impact area. The previous study recommended that it is ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (Gresham 1994). However, it was also noted that these remains were of local interest and avoidable. These recommendations are repeated and endorsed in the present investigation.