Report of Archaeological Reconnaissance of a Site on the Nature Conservancy Tract along Brier Creek

On Thursday, January 10, 1991, John Ambrose and Tom Patrick of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) escorted Ken Sassaman, Mark Brooks and Keith Stephenson (Savannah River Archaeological Research Program [SRARP]) to an archaeological site on Brier Creek in Burke County, Georgia. The tract of land containing the site is owned by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and is being evaluated by DNR for ecological significance. It is located on the north side of Brier Creek between Chickasaw and Chapman Branches, approximately six kilometers west of Girard, Georgia. The land is currently leased to a hunting club. Upon visiting the land in December 1990, Ambrose and Patrick located archaeological remains on the southern edge of the property overlooking the Brier Creek floodplain. A sign at the entrance to the property marked the location of "Indian Artifacts." Apparently, the hunting club has been directing its members to the site for some time. Ambrose notified Frankie Snow of South Georgia College, who in turn contacted Keith Stephenson of the SRARP. Sassaman consulted with Sue Moore of Georgia Southern University, who has conducted some archaeological testing in the Brier Creek area. Moore had no information about the site, but encouraged the SRARP to investigate. A check of the Georgia Site Files at the University of Georgia (Athens) by Stephenson produced no further information. Accordingly, SRARP staff agreed to meet Ambrose and Patrick at the site to map its boundaries and features, make a small surface collection, and evaluate its research potential. The site encompasses the entire landform that protrudes out into the Brier Creek floodplain from the first alluvial terrace (see attached map and site form). Site size is estimated to be approximately 32,500 m2. The landform, possibly an inactive point bar, rises only a few feet about the active floodplain. A low sand body in the floodplain approximately 300 m to the southwest of the point bar also contains prehistoric artifacts. Combined, the archaeological remains comprise an expansive, buried record of intensive site use during the late mid-Holocene, roughly 4000-3000 years before present. The point bar/terrace portion of the site is comprised of three strata. At the extreme tip of the landform is an organic midden containing shell, animal bone, pottery and lithic artifacts. The depth of this midden varies, but reaches as much as 1 meter below surface along the swamp edge. The accumulation of organic debris has undoubtedly contributed to the topographic relief of this portion of the site. The midden itself has been the primary target of relic hunters. Numerous large holes were observed, many apparently dug in recent weeks. Extending from the primary midden away from the swamp is a secondary organic midden approximately 2000 m2 in size. The depth of this de osit is greatest near the primary midden (60-80 cm BS), and tapers-off to the west were it is replaced by an unstained soil that contains abundant lithic debris across the remaining portion of site. These areas of the site have also been damaged by relic hunters, although the density of holes is less compared to the primary midden.