A Preliminary Report on Archaeological Investigations at The Proposed Southern Paper Manufacturing Company Plant, Laurens County

This report summarizes the field work at five archaeological sites located on the property of Southern Paper Manufacturing Company near East Dublin, Laurens County, Georgia. The archaeological investigations were sponsored by Media General,, Inc. of Saddle Brook, New Jersey. The field work was conducted by University of Georgia archaeologist Marvin T. Smith with a crew composed of Greg Paulk, Charles Siegel, Miles Sheffer, and Joel Jones. Dr. Paul Fish served as Principal Investigator for the project. Field work started on May 11, 1977 and was completed on June 17, 1977. Preliminary field interpretations indicate that much of the Southern Paper Manufacturing Company property was utilized by aboriginal occupants as short term campsites from the Transitional Paleo-Indian period to the Mississippian period. No evidence of long term occupation, such as abundant features or postmolds, were encountered on any of the sites. Detailed analysis of the artifacts recovered should add much data about the archaeology of this little known region of Georgia. It is hoped that individual campsites can be identified at 9Ls5 and 9Ls44. At 9Ls23, a Savannah period hearth yielded a large carbon sample, and several Woodland features may yield botanical data. All artifacts and records are curated in the Laboratory of Archaeology, University of Georgia.