An Archeological Survey of Portions of Four Alternatives for the Proposed North Burton 115kV Transmission Line, Rabun County, Georgia

In January 2001, Southeastern Archeological Services (SAS) conducted an intensive archeological survey of four alternative corridors for the proposed North Burton Transmission Line in Rabun County, Georgia. The survey was restricted to those portions of the four corridors that fall on land owned by the United States Forest Service (USFS). A special-use permit, dated December 15, 2000, was issued by the USFS for this project, in accordance with the Archaeological Resource Protection Act. The survey covered a combined total of 24.5 km (15.2 mi) of potential right-of-way. This included 0.3 km (0.2 mi) of Alternative C, 7.6 km (4.7 mi) of Alternative D, 6.5 km (4.0 mi) of Alternative E, 6.6 km (4.1 mi) of Alternative F, and a 3.5 km (2.2 mi) section of potential right-of-way that may be used for either Alternative E or F. An additional 0.6 km (0.4 mi) long portion of Alternative D on USFS property could not be surveyed because of problems with access. Although the actual transmission line will be much narrower, the four survey corridors measured 152.4 m (500 ft) in width, except along paved roads, where the corridor extends 12.2 m (40 ft) from the existing right-of-way. The total area surveyed for this project measures approximately 369.6 ha (912.9 ac). Archival research conducted at the USFS office in Gainesville and the State Archaeological Site Files revealed the presence of as many as eight known cultural resources within or near the project corridors. Two of these consisted of historic era stills which have been ruled ineligible to the National Register. We did not conduct any further investigation of these stills, but we did verify their location as being within Alternative E. The third previously known site (USFS site 05-264) consists of a historic home reported by a resident of the area but not verified by USFS personnel. We thoroughly checked the reported location of this site in Alternative D, but found no indications of a structure. We suspect that the location reported to the USFS is inaccurate by at least 150 m, and lies well outside of Alternative D. Site 9RA83 (USFS site 05-50) consists of the remains of a historic house identified by Willingham (1984a). The site has been ruled ineligible to the National Register. We found no house remains in the location along Alternative E that was reported for this site. However, we did record a house site (site 9RA245) approximately one-half kilometer to the southeast that resembles fairly closely the description provided for site 9RA83. Another site reported by Willingham (1 984a), 9RA79, also falls very near Alternative E. We did not relocate this quartz lithic scatter, but we did verify that it does not extend into the project corridor. Maps at the State Site Files document two sites that, although poorly known and imprecisely located, fall in the general vicinity of Alternatives D and E/F. Both sites were described in print by Cyrus Thomas (1891). Site 9RA8 is the designation for what Thomas referred to as a "...stone cairn, known as the `Indian Grave' near Glassy Mountain, on the head of Tiger Creek". Site 9RA9 is thelabel given to another stone cairn described by Thomas "...on the ridge east of Tiger Creek and southeast of Glassy Mountain". We did not observe any rock piles in this area specifically, nor in the project area in general. The field survey resulted in the identification of 15 previously unreported sites, one non-site cultural resource (a historic railroad grade), and five artifact occurrences (Table 1). Eleven of the sites and all five of the artifact occurrences date to the prehistoric era. With the exception of one isolated ceramic (Occurrence B-2) all of the prehistoric components consist of non-diagnostic lithic scatters. The four remaining sites date to the historic period. Two of these are late nineteenth or early twentieth century house sites, and two consist of twentieth century stills. One of the house sites also includes the remains of a still. Four of the sites are recommended potentially eligible to the National Register of Historic Places. These include one of the historic house sites (9RA244) and three of the prehistoric lithic scatters (sites 9RA238, 9RA246, and 9RA247). The eleven remaining sites and all of the artifact occurrences are recommended ineligible to the National Register because the deposits are sparse and/or disturbed. In addition to the four potentially eligible sites, one other cultural resource merits special consideration. This consists of a railroad grade associated with the Georgia Railroad and Power Company. The rail line was presumably constructed in the early twentieth century. A relatively intact portion of the grade was noted on, and extending to the east of, site 9RA246 in Alternative F. Although we have not recorded it as an archeological site, the railroad grade is recommended potentially eligible to the National Register. If possible, the proposed transmission line should be designed to avoid the four potentially eligible sites, as well as the railroad grade. Sites 9RA247 and 9RA238 are the only potentially eligible sites on the portions of Alternatives D and E (respectively) that were surveyed for this project. The two remaining potentially eligible sites (9RA246 and 9RA244) and the railroad grade are all located on Alternative F. However, even if one of these three alternatives is chosen as the preferred route for the proposed transmission line, it may be possible to design the construction with no adverse effect to any significant sites. With the exception of sites 9RA238 and 9RA246, the significant cultural resources are generally small and do not extend across the entire width of the survey corridors. Depending on the width of the proposed transmission line right-of-way, it may therefore be possible to avoid the smaller sites.