A Report of the Preliminary Survey for the Assessment of Cultural Resources in the Proposed Project Area for S.E.R.I., Shenandoah, Coweta County, Georgia

This is a report of a preliminary survey of and for cultural (historical, architectural, and archaeological) resources in the proposed project area for S. E. R. I. on the Shenandoah property in Coweta County, Georgia. The assess two fundamental reasons: no previous cultural resource survey conducted and insufficient time. No formal surveys for historical, architectural, or archaeological resources have been conducted in Coweta County prior to project notification. The amount of time available between notification and due date was insufficient to conduct such intensive surveys as may be required to inventory resources and assess the cultural environment. The result is a heavy dependence on secondary sources of data supplemented with primary ones in the compilation of this report. The preliminary quality of this survey, however, will be minimized by subsequent cultural resource preservation measures required by federal legislation if the site is selected for the project. For Coweta County few archaeological resources are recorded in the site files of the various colleges and universities in the state. None are on record for the proposed project area prior to this report. However, no formal survey of the county has been conducted by an institution having archaeological competence. Without the benefit of an archaeological survey, the probability for archaeological resources in the proposed project area seems high for these reasons. Given that Georgia has been inhabited for about 10,000 years is sufficient time for extensive as well as intensive habitation of most areas of the state. Considering the number and distribution of recorded and known archaeological resources, few areas in Georgia have not been inhabited at some time in the past. Even during a visit to the proposed project area in June 1976, two prehistoric (Indian) sites and one historic (post European contact) site were observed and recorded. The potential for the existence of additional archaeological resources seems high. The problem is that assessment of the significance of any one site, or the collective significance of a number of sites, is very difficult to make at this preliminary stage of surveying.