Cultural Resources Survey and Testing of the Proposed Southern Rivers Energy District Office and Operations Center, Macon, Bibb County , Georgia

Southern Research, Historic Preservation Consultants, Inc., has completed cultural resources survey and testing for the proposed 67-acre Southern Rivers Energy District Office and Operation Center located at the intersection ofUS8o/Eisenhower Parkway and Fulton Mill Road, Macon, Bibb County, Georgia. These investigations included architectural survey, as well as archaeological survey and testing. No standing structures were located within the APE, and no structures greater than so years of age were located within the immediate vicinity/visual impact area of the proposed project area. Archaeological survey of the 67-acre APE resulted in the identification of four archaeological sites (9BI165 through 9BI168). Archaeological sites 9BI16s, 9BI166, and 9BI168 are all prehistoric ceramic and lithic scatters. Archaeological site 9BI167 is a heavily disturbed/razed nineteenth to twentieth century farmstead. All of these resources were evaluated for eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Survey investigations suggest that sites 9BI166, 9BI167, and 9BI168 are not eligible for the NRHP. However, preliminary survey results indicated that site 9BI165 contained a relatively extensive scatter of ceramic and lithic artifacts located on a bluff overlooking Tobesofkee Creek. Given its size and the relatively higher density of prehistoric artifacts encountered at the site, additional archaeological test investigations were conducted to definitively determine its nature and integrity. Test investigations at 9BI165 suggest that it has been heavily disturbed and cultural materials at the site are limited to the plow zone. As a result, site 9BI165 is also recommended not eligible for the NRHP.