Cultural Resources Survey of the Proposed Lake Sidney Lanier Reregulation Dam and Lake Area, Forsyth and Gwinnett Counties, Georgia

In July and August 1986, Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc., conducted an intensive survey of 323 ha of heavily vegetated floodplain on both sides of the Chattahoochee River in Forsyth and Gwinnett Counties, Georgia. The purpose of this survey was to locate and evaluate the significance of, and determine the effects on all cultural resources in the proposed project area. This project area consists of a dam site and lake basin. This report describes the project setting, concentrating of the alluvial geomorphology of the basin; provides a review of the fairly extensive previous work in the area; outlines the culture history of the area, concentrating on the material culture of the prehistoric period and transportation systems during the historic period; presents a research design; describes field and analytic methods with an emphasis on subsurface testing methods; presents individual site descriptions; and, finally, provides assessments of eligibility, project impacts and further work. The 78 sites (73 prehistoric) recorded represent an unusually high density (24 per km2). The most common recognized component was Early Mississippian Woodstock. Two Woodstock sites with dense material and organic remains are considered eligible to the National Register of Historic Places, 52 of the sites are potentially eligible and 24 are considered not eligible. All sites will be impacted by inundation, shoreline erosion, dam construction or increased visibility to vandals. If the project is implemented, we recommend additional post hole digger testing and test pit excavations, or additional documentation (for historic sites) for the potentially eligible sites, and mitigation by shovel testing, test pits and block excavation for the eligible sites.