Archaeological Survey Report Project: PEF-065-1-(13)

As a first step in the planning process of the survey, a close look into the known archaeological resources of Floyd and Gordon counties was taken: The Georgia State University site files were consulted, primarily the raw data files. The counties, like many in Georgia, have never had intensive county archaeological surveys. The apparent first record of aboriginal sites was in Cyrus Thomas' catalogue with very general references to stone circles and cairnes south of Rome and mounds northeast of Calhoun (Thomas, 1891). Another early investigator was M. E. Ashley in the 1920's who is reported to have excavated some mounds south of Rome (Wauchope, 1966) . Wauchope's work here was confined to the Coosa-Etowah River drainage area and, of the five sites he mentioned, two have useful information. Fl-1 (Floyd Farm ) was a Paleo-Indian and Archaic lithic station with a Late Mississippian and Proto-historic village site. The other site's, Fl-2, surface collection indicates Woodland and Mississippian occupation (Wauchope, p 218, 1966). Other work in Floyd County was also located in the Coosa-Etowah River drainage at the Proto-historic King site which was excavated by Georgia State University Gordon County has had much less archaeological investigation. New Echota, the Cherokee capitol is outside of Calhoun. The raw data file turned up references to a survey for the University of Georgia in 1953-54 by John Wear and the Georgia Historical Commission survey by Cecil Cook. These sites have not been relocated and the records are lacking in detailed information. None of the earlier surveys were adjacent to the proposed project.