Archaeological Investigations at the Weaver Site, Gilmer County, Georgia

The Weaver Site (9Gi(DOT)21) was discovered during an intensive archaeological survey of the mainline corridor for the proposed Appalachian Development Highway between Ellijay and Blue Ridge, Georgia. Cultural material recovered from the ground surface and from test excavations indicated aboriginal occupations dating to the Early Woodland and possibly Protohistoric time periods. It was determined that the cultural midden was undisturbed and that the site had the potential to yield information important to the prehistory of the Blue Ridge and upper Piedmont areas of Georgia. Because of the site's apparent integrity and information potential, it was recommended eligible for the National Register of Historic Places at a local level of significance (Bowen 1981). It was concluded that the significant archaeological information present at the Weaver Site could be retrieved by excavation prior to construction of the Appalachian Highway. To implement this mitigation plan, the Georgia Department of Transportation contracted with West Georgia College to conduct the excavation. The general problem orientation for the investigation was to gather information available at the site concerning its temporal-cultural association, with particular emphasis upon retrieving information concerning settlement and subsistence activities represented at the site. Field work was initiated on July 2nd and concluded on August 15th, 1984 with a crew varying in size from two to six people, most of whom were Gilmer County residents. This report details the methods and results of excavation at the Weaver Site. All records and artifacts resulting from this investigation are curated at the Archaeological Laboratory of West Georgia College under Accession Number 30.