An Intensive Archaeological Survey of Proposed Improvements to Old Mill Road, Bartow County, Georgia

Southeastern Archeological Services (SAS) conducted an intensive archeological survey of the proposed widening of Old Mill Road, in Bartow County, Georgia. The project, which measures approximately 3.14 km (1.95 mi) in length, begins at the intersection of Douthit Ferry Road and Old Mill Road. It then proceeds northeasterly on the existing location of Old Mill Road to the intersection of south Erwin Street. The project then continues northward on South Erwin Street and ends at the intersection of South Industrial Drive. The project consists of the widening of the existing two-lane road to a three-lane roadway system providing turn lanes at intersecting streets. The proposed road improvements will be maintained within the existing 24.4 m (80 ft) right-of-way of Old Mill Road, with the exception of three signalized intersections (at Douthit Ferry Road, Etowah Drive, and South Erwin Street) where the existing right-of-way may be expanded by as much as 7.6 m (25 ft). The project area lies entirely outside of the Etowah Valley National Register District, a vast district that includes prehistoric and historic period sites and resources. Our survey recorded one artifact occurrence and revisited one site that was previously recorded within the project corridor. Site 9BR182 was recorded by Ann Rogers of Georgia State University in 1977. Rogers' site form describes this site as a diffuse scatter of chert lithics. Our shovel tests in the reported location of the site did not produce any prehistoric materials but did yield a small quantity of twentieth century historic artifacts. Both site 9BR182 and the sole artifact occurrence (which also dates to the twentieth century) are recommended as non-contribution properties within the Etowah Valley National Register District eneligible to the National Register. Thus, the proposed road construction will have no adverse effect to any significant archeological resources.