An Archaeological and Historical Reconnaisance of Certain Power Substation Locations in Georgia

The Shennandoah Substation will occupy a hilltop which is presently overgrown. The vegetative cover consists of pines less than a foot in diameter at breast height. Near the western border is a wet weather stream bottom which was dry in December. The forest floor consists of ca. 5 cm. of detrital accumulation overlying 3 cm. of dark stained sandy loam. The substrate is a homogenous orange-red clay. There is evidence of contouring on the slope and there is heavy erosion. There are still plough furrows in the NW quadrant of the site. Several abandoned roads cross the site which have not been used in some time. Less than 1 cm. of humus accumulation is present on the roads. A transect was made across the site east to west, and a trowel pit was dug to the substrate every seven meters. Separate pits were also sunk in the abandoned roads, a contour ridge, and plough furrows at the northern end of the site. Approximately twenty were made throughout the site. No cultural material was recovered from the site. Present conditions on the site suggest a former use of the site for agricultural purposes, with probable abandonment ca. 40 years ago.. No structural remains were found on the site, suggesting the farm habitation location was elsewhere, perhaps to the north, where a possible abandoned well was located. No further investigations seems warranted. In December of 1975, the Reynolds Substation was a ploughed field. It is on a gradual, south facing slope. The substation site was deeply furrowed and the upper strata were not clear. The lot to the north of the site revealed a strata of 20 or more centimeters of darkly stained sand where there was no bulldozer disturbance. A lighter sand continued below the dark stain at both locations. No test pits were made on this site since the soil had obviously been deeply disturbed by ploughing. Two pits were made in the lot just north of the site. A hole in the dirt road dividing the site and the lot to the north was scraped to check ;the stratigraphic profile. A county maintained road on the western edge-of the site is sunk several feet below the surface of the site, revealing sand to at least the depth of the road. Minimal evidences of both prehistoric and historic components were found. The substation lot seems to have been the site of a previous building, though no foundation locations were visible on the surface. The historic artifacts were concentrated in the southwest corner of the lot. Eight fragments of early twentieth century china, 3 brick fragments, one fragment of glass, one metal fragment, one fragment of unidentified material,-and a small fragment of a record were recovered, as was one chert fragment. A chert flake and a chert scraper were recovered from the lot to the north of the site. The substation site apparently lies on the southern periphery of the prehistoric component-and the evidence is so sparse that the component beyond the border of the substation site may be insignificant. The building remains appear to be relatively recent. No further investigation of the substation site itself seems warranted. Little could be determined about the original condition of the Southwest Substation. It appears to have been scraped at some time in the recent past and earth has been brought in and dumped on the site. The woods behind the site are subclimax and could well represent an old fields succession, however no distinct furrow traces were found. No pits were dug in the fill dirt or in the recently scraped surface. Virtually all soil had been removed in the scraped area, revealing the base red clay. Four trowel pits were made near the eastern edge of the site to determine if any stratigraphy had been preserved. Up to 10 cm. of humus had accumulated on the red clay, again suggesting agricultural use in the relatively recent past. No cultural material was found on the site. There is no evidence preserved to suggest that any cultural resources might be present at the substation site. No further investigation seems warranted. The Lassiter Road Substation is on a small hill. The top is eroded, and the west slope has been graded and used as a riding area. The southern slope has been contoured and leads to a dry valley. There has been some soil accumulation on the south slope and there are about 5 cm. of humus stsin. The substrate is an orange clay mixed with micaceous rocks. Most of the site is used as a horse grazing pasture. Trowel pits were dug to the substrate along two transects which intersected on top of the hill. One ran east-west while the other was north-south. No pits were sunk in the area where earth had been removed to flatten the riding circuit. Approximately ten pits. were dug. No cultural material was found. There is no indication of any cultural resources either on the surface or in any of the test pits. No further investigation seems warranted. The Shell Bluff Substation consists of two parallel ridges which slope to the southwest. The norther ridge is sand while the southern ridge is of orange red clay. There is a saddle in the southern ridge which has a sandy bottom. The site is an ope cattle pasture and the grass is cropped short. Seven trowel pits were made in the southeast top of the sand ridge in the form of a cross. Two more were placed at the northwest end of the ridge in line with the long axis of the cross. Four tests were made along the length of the valley. Seven were made along the crest of the clay ridge. No definitely identifiable cultural material was located. Small bits of charcoal were found at a depth of approximately 13 cm. in a dark sand level at the bottom of the saddle in the clay ridge. It is more likely that this is natural rather than cultural. The charcoal bearing sand zone seems to lead into an area on the opposite site of GA 80. The extent suggests a natural origin. No further investigation seems warranted.