Archaeological Data Recovery/Preservation Plans, Georgia Power Company A-1 Recreation Area, Greene County, Georgia

Archaeological·survey and testing of Georgia Power Company's 779 acre A-1 Recreation Area, Lake Oconee Project, Greene County, Georgia was undertaken during January, 1988. The work was conducted in anticipation of a potential land exchange and subsequent development of at least a portion of the tract. The effort included archival research, a search of the State Site Files, a review of previous work in the vicinity, complete tract survey through screened shovel tests on a 39 m interval, and site evaluation through close interval shovel testing and formal unit excavation. Mr. Christopher T. Espenshade served as Principal Investigator; he was in the field full time. The survey and testing resulted in the discovery or revisit of 49 sites and 27 isolated finds. Ten sites (Sites 5, 16, 19, 27, 31, 32, 54, 69, 62, and 77) were recommended as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places; preservation in place was recommended where feasible. In addition, the historic Trippe Cemetery was revisited; its preservation was recommended. The survey and testing report (Espenshade and Mitchell 1988) was completed in April 1988, and was reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office; all eligibility recommendations were accepted by the SHPO. A revised Final Report was submitted in May 1989. Approximately 560 acres of the A-1 Tract are included in a proposed land exchange (note: For delineation of the project boundary see Figure 3, entitled "Location of Proposed Project Boundary Changes for the Lake Oconee/Wallace Dam Project," in the Application text.) Of the ten eligible sites, Site 54, Site 77, and a small portion of Site 16 are within the property to be retained by Georgia Power Company. Since the land exchange may ultimately threaten impact to the other eight eligible sites and Trippe Cemetery, Georgia Power Company has requested the creation of data recovery plans for each eligible site and preservation options for Trippe Cemetery. These plans, upon review and acceptance by the SHPO and the Federal . Energy Regulatory Commission, will serve as the basis for a Memorandum of Agreement concerning the cultural resources of the A-1 Tract. This document is arranged by site types. Chapter 2 describes archaeological data recovery plans for the five eligible Lamar period sites, including a review of the recent research and continuing data needs in Lamar archaeology. The two eligible historic sites on the tract are addressed in Chapter 3, while Chapter 4 presents the data recovery plan for Site 5, a Late Archaic quartz quarry. Chapter 5 presents preservation options for the Trippe Cemetery.