Cultural Resource Management Vogtle-Effingham-Thalmann Transmission Line Burke, Screven, Effingham, Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, and Glynn Counties, Georgia Resource Inventory II: Final Report

This report documents the results of a Resource Inventory II investigation of approximately 153 miles of the proposed Plant Vogtle to Thalmann Substation Electric Transmission Line Corridor. A total of 2,732 acres was investigated within the 150 foot wide corridor which extended through portions of Burke, Screven, Effingham, Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, and Glynn counties, Georgia. The Resource Inventory II identified a total of 112 cultural properties. multicomponent historic and prehistoric properties were common on this ' project, and a total of 91 historic and 116 prehistoric components were identified within the 112 properties. The oldest historic components found dated to the British Georgia Period (1732-1732), and most historic components dated within the 100 year period from 1830-1930. All prehistoric periods recognized for the Georgia Coastal Plain Province except Paleo-Indian and Middle Archaic were represented in the sample. A significant aspect of this Resource Inventory II Project was the identification of a number of properties in Screven and Burke counties with deeply buried prehistoric deposits. Twenty-six properties were identified in that area that contained up to four feet of intact deposits. All of those sites contained prehistoric artifacts interbedded with fine grained tan or golden tan sand, and the origin of that sand remains undetermined at this time. Fifty-four cultural properties were recommended for management. An evaluation system based on age and the degree of preservation evident within each property was used to determine which properties were potentially significant archaeological resources. The report documents avoidance strategies that can be used to preserve potentially significant cultural properties in place, and discusses potential research domains that can be addressed by any future investigations.