Archaeological and Botanical Survey Proposed Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Rockmart, Georgia: Our Project Number ES-875

The archaeological survey of the proposed Rockmart, Georgia Wastewater Treatment Facilities involved a survey of approximately four and one-third acres of land in and around the existing Rockmart Wastewater Treatment Facility. Four acres of this survey lay within the bounds of the existing plant site, and approximately one-third acre lay outside of the present treatment facility (see Figure 2). The survey confirmed the initial assumption that no significant archaeological remains survive within the limits of the existing plant site. The remaining one-third acre laying outside the plant perimeter was also found to be free of cultural resources. This conclusion was achieved as a result of the survey described below. The plant site may be divided into two sections for discussion purposes. The first section includes the four acres of existing treatment facility. The actual buildings of the plant site are surrounded by a chain-link fence. This area is lying on ground which is gently sloping to the Euharlee Creek floodplain. The plant site also includes a steep slope lying between the south compound fence and the Rockmart North By-Pass. The second section includes all peripheral areas that are likely to incur primary or secondary impacts from construction. This section consists of one third acre of relatively undisturbed land lying adjacent to the northeast corner of the compound. Also included in this section is a strip of upland hardwoods lying adjacent to the southeast corner of the treatment facility. This area-runs downslope for approximately 65 meters (200 feet) to the edge of a soybean field and is approximately 30 meters (100 feet) wide. This slope was found to contain a scatter of modern trash which had been spread over some of the exposed surfaces of the survey area. Since this modern material constituted the most common type of artifact found on the survey, it is essential to pinpoint its source in relation to the rest of the survey project.