Phase I Archaeological Resources Survey for the Proposed Truman Linear Park Trail

On 14 and 16 September 2011 and 11 February 2012, Brockington and Associates, Inc., conducted an intensive Phase I cultural resources survey of the proposed Truman Linear Park Trail in Chatham County, Georgia (GDOT Project CSHPP-007-00 [631] Chatham County; P.I. 0007631; HP 110912-001). This report discusses only the archaeological resources recorded during this current investigation. Refer to Roberts (2012) for details concerning the historic architectural resources recorded during this investigation. The project corridor consists of the construction of a multi-use trail as part of the Coastal Georgia Greenway from the end of the Phase I path located at 52nd Street and Bee Road, traveling south to its termination at the existing Lake Mayer recreational facility. The new pathway would be eight feet wide and approximately 4.8 miles (7.7 kilometers) long. The project would be within the existing property/right of way (ROW) limits of various county-, city-, and state-owned roads and properties and would parallel portions of existing roads and traverse county-owned property. Since the alignment of the proposed project will not deviate beyond 15 meters (49 feet) (the survey area covered by a single transect), the typical 30-meter (98-foot) expanded survey coverage (ESC) was not investigated. These investigations were carried out on behalf of Thomas & Hutton, in partial fulfillment of guidelines established by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (as amended) by personnel qualified under 36 CFR Part 61. Background research and cultural resources survey were used to identify potentially significant resources within the project's area of potential effect (APE). Background research conducted on Georgia's Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources GIS (NAHRGIS) did identify two archaeological sites (9CH870 and 9CH901) near or adjacent to the APE for the proposed project. Both of these previously recorded archaeological sites have been recommended ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) (Braley 1999; Gresham 1997). An additional six previously recorded archaeological sites are located within a one-mile radius of the proposed project. However, these additional previously recorded archaeological resources are not located within an area of direct or indirect impact. Much of the current project corridor was previously investigated during various surveys for the construction of Harry S. Truman Parkway (Ashley 1994; Braley 1999; Southeastern Wildlife Services 1978) or for the proposed widening along Skidaway Road (Gresham 1997). The previous investigations by Ashley (1994), Braley (1999), and Gresham (1997) used shovel tests excavated at 30-meter intervals to cover their associated project corridors. Southeastern Wildlife Services (1978) excavated shovel tests spaced at 50-meter intervals during their investigation. This current field investigation surveyed the areas along the project corridor that were not included in previous investigations utilizing current Georgia archaeological survey methods (i.e., 30-meter interval shovel tests). Therefore, the portions of the project corridor that overlap with Southeastern Wildlife Services (1978) were re-examined during this investigation, in addition to areas of the project corridor that fall outside of the areas surveyed by Ashley (1994), Braley (1999), and Gresham (1997). Our field survey did not identify any unrecorded archaeological sites. Any cultural remains associated with either of the two previously recorded archaeological sites (9CH870 and 9CH901) were not identified within or adjacent to the project corridor. Regardless, additional management of these two previously recorded resources is not warranted since both of these sites are ineligible for the NRHP. Therefore, no significant archaeological resources will be impacted by the proposed Truman Linear Park Trail. We recommend archaeological resources clearance for the proposed project.