Archaeological Survey for the Landings Development, Chatham County, Georgia

This report contains the results of an intensive archaeological survey of six small islands, totaling 101 acres, located on the southwestern edge of Skidaway Island in Chatham County, Georgia. The project location is depicted in Figures 1 and 2. This survey was conducted for the Branigar organization by Garrow & Associates as part of "The Landings" residential development. Survey of these portions of the proposed development was requested by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Fieldwork was conducted from 28 October to I November, 1935. Laboratory analysis and report preparation was completed during the following three weeks. The survey methodology consisted of intensive shovel testing with tests placed at 20 meter intervals throughout the project area. A total of 978 shovel tests were dug on the islands with cultural materials recovered from 256 of these tests. Surface reconnaissance of observable artifacts and cultural features was conducted simultaneously. The location of the shovel tests are shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. Eight archaeological sites were defined and six of these sites were judged to be potentially significant cultural resources eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. one of these six potentially significant sites, Field Site 1, was situated outside of the immediate project area. Archaeological testing is recommended for the five other potentially significant sites to determine their eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. These include Field Sites 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8. The project vicinity was also identified, primarily through documentary research, as having high potential for containing an intact deposit of Pleistocene vertebrate fossils. Fossil beds of this period are quite rare and few have been investigated using modern scientific techniques. Further archaeological investigation of the Pleistocene aspect of the project area through a project of deep tests aimed at locating potential deposits is recommended. This report is organized in the following manner. Chapter II contains a background review of the project area including a description of the environment. Chapter III provides a description of the research methods used in the field and laboratory. Chapter IV provides a cultural historical framework against which the results of this project can be viewed. The results of the survey finding's are presented in Chapter V. Chapter VI contains an interpretative discussion of the findings with specific comments on the research potential of the project area. Chapter VII contains recommendations for management of the cultural resources identified by this survey project. An Appendix itemizing the materials recovered during the field project is included with this report.