Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Shakerag Gravity Sewer Line, Forsyth County, Georgia

During October 2012, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed corridor for the Shakerag Gravity Sewer Line. The project area is located in Forsyth County, Georgia, and includes approximately 7,000 linear feet of new sewer line, which will connect existing sewer line along Old Atlanta Road with the proposed Shakerag Water Reclamation Facility. The maximum width of the sewer line corridor is 50 feet. The goal of the survey was to locate and evaluate archaeological sites within the area of potential effect (APE) of the proposed undertaking so that potential effects to any resources identified could be evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The project was conducted under a contract with Black & Veatch Corporation. A review of the Georgia Archaeological Site File at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens showed that there are 40 previously identified archaeological sites located within a 1-kilometer radius of the project area. Two of these sites, 9F04 and 9F06, have portions located in the project's APE. Site 9F04 (Thomas Site) was initially recorded in 1939 by Robert Wauchope (Wauchope 1966). The site location was revisited by Wauchope in the 1960s and by David Hally ofUGA in 1996, but neither could relocate it. Site 9F06 was recorded by Wauchope while trying to relocate the Thomas Site (Wauchope 1966). Both sites have no eligibility recommendation on the associated site forms, and thus should be considered as having unknown eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). There have been five projects conducted within a 1 kilometer radius of the project area, none which have portions that overlap the current APE. During the course of the current survey, portions of previously recorded sites 9F04 and 9F06 were revisited. The revisit to 9F06 produced negative results. A section of the proposed sewer line adjacent to the Chattahoochee River found lithic and ceramic artifacts in six positive shovel tests within the previously recorded site boundaries of 9F04. The survey also identified an isolated find, consisting of a single piece of quartz lithic debitage. No artifacts were recovered from 9F06 within the corridor; therefore, that portion of the site examined is non-contributing to its eligibility under Criterion D (Information Potential). Since the remainder of 9F06 could not be evaluated, the overall eligibility of the site should remain unknown. The isolated find location is recommended ineligible for the NRHP due to its low research potential. The portion of 9F04 identified during the initial survey has the potential to produce additional significant archaeological data with further investigation, and should be considered as possibly contributing to the sites eligibility under Criterion D. It is recommended that this portion of the site be avoided, and, if that is not feasible, Phase II testing is recommended to further evaluate the eligibility of the deposits. Following consultation with Black & Veatch and Forsyth County, an alternative corridor to the south was examined to avoid the deposits identified during the initial survey. Shovel testing of the proposed alternative found two artifacts in a single positive shovel test in redeposited alluvial soils. The portion of 9F04 in the alternative corridor is recommended as non-contributing to its eligibility under Criterion D. It is recommended that the sewer line construction be allowed to proceed through this alternative corridor. Overall, EPEI recommends that the Shakerag Gravity Sewer Line project be allowed to proceed as designed, following the alternative corridor south of the identified potentially eligible deposits at 9F04. The remainder of the corridor as originally surveyed should be allowed to be constructed as designed. The redesigned corridor will have no effect on any archaeological resources eligible for the NRHP.