Phase I Archaeological Survey of 3899 Acres at Fort Stewart Military Reservation (NRMUs A13.1, A14.1, A16.1, A16.2, and Aholbrook)

Between August 3 and September 18 and between September 28 and October 1, 2009, Brockington and Associates, Inc. conducted a Phase I archaeological resources survey of 3,899 acres (in NRMUs A13.1, A14.1, A16.1, A16.2 and Aholbrook, in Liberty County) included in Task 14.1 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. This archaeological survey was undertaken by Brockington and Associates, Inc. as a subconsultant to the cooperator, The Louis Berger Group, Inc. The survey is intended to aid in Fort Stewart's Directorate of Public Works efforts toward compliance with Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (1966, as amended through 2004), 36 CFR 800 (Protection of Historic and Cultural Properties), and Army Regulations (AR) 200-1 (August 2007), which state that the Army is required to consider the effects that proposed actions will have on significant cultural resources, that is, sites listed on or determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Background research conducted on NAHRGIS identified fourteen previously identified archaeological sites on the project tract. All of these fourteen archaeological sites have been recommended not eligible for the NRH P (see Table 2.1). These sites were identified during previous formal archaeological investigations in the immediate vicinity of the project tract, and previous work includes survey (Gantt et al. 2004), selective survey (McKivergan 1996, Miller et al. 1981), and site testing (Markham and Holland 2002) investigations. The project historian, Will Brockenbrough, completed archival research between August 10 and August 21, 2009. The investigations were conducted to assist in developing a historic context for the study area. Archival research was also conducted to assist in the evaluation of historic period sites discovered during field investigations. Research revealed that forty-four individual tracts existed within the project area at the time of U.S. government acquisition. Every effort was made to trace the ownership of each tract from this point back to the State grant. Phase I archaeological survey within the project area consisted of shovel testing at intervals according to high-probability (30-meter intervals) and lowprobability (45-meter intervals) predictive modeling analysis provided by Fort Stewart's Cultural Resources Management team at the Directorate of Public Works. These probability areas were determined using an inductive model designed by Johnstone (2004), and incorporated data from past surveys as well as the known record of human occupation, the paleoenvironment, and the modern environment. Shovel testing was undertaken in compliance with requirements as stated in the Scope of Work. The archaeological resources survey verified that much of the project area has been heavily disturbed by historic and modern activities, including military activities. Brockington and Associates, Inc., located 49 archaeological sites (Table 1.1), 29 isolated occurrences (Table 1.2), and 18 Herty cup locations (Table 9.1) during the Phase I archaeological survey of 3,899 acres in NRMUs A13.1, A14.1, A16.1, A16.2 and Aholbrook. Archaeological sites include historic and prehistoric sites, as well as multi-component sites. Generally, it was noted that the artifact density at all sites was relatively low, including at historic sites. Based on our preliminary assessment, most of the forty-nine sites identified represent ephemeral occupations and they offer little potential for further research. Three sites (9Li336, 9Li1749, and 9Li1750) are recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP and should be preserved until Phase II archaeological testing can be completed and a definitive NRHP eligibility recommendation can be made. Site 9Li336 is comprised of a surface and subsurface scatter of historic artifacts and two surface features, a possible well depression and an articulated brick pier, likely a footer. McKivergan (1996) initially recorded the site, though he interpreted occupation as twentieth century and the site itself as substantially smaller than current investigations indicate; he also noted that razing and disturbance had eliminated most archaeological context. Current investigations substantially increased the size of the site, and appear to indicate a central domestic structure with outbuildings or with smaller domestic scatters on the periphery of the site. Further, though disturbance is evident at the site, many areas appear to maintain archaeological integrity and may offer future research potential. The primary research theme of interest at the site is the nineteenth century occupation, indicated by the artifact assemblage; this type of site is under-represented among the known resources at Fort Stewart (Johnstone 2004:143). Site 9Li1749 is comprised of a moderate surface and subsurface scatter of bricks and other domestic and architectural artifacts, indicating a nineteenth to twentieth-century domestic site. The artifact concentration at the site is among the highest density of any identified in the current survey, with 188 artifacts recovered from 11 shovel tests and one 50-by-50-cm test unit. Soil stratigraphy at the site indicates a significant burn episode, which may have destroyed the domestic structure at the site and is also indicated in the presence of melted glass. Disturbance at the site appears minimal, and includes only an unimproved dirt road or tank trail. The site does not appear as a structure on the 1920 Hinesville Quadrangle, indicating that the burn episode likely took place before this time. The site represents a remarkably undisturbed location of historic habitation at Fort Stewart, and may offer research potential on nineteenth to twentieth century occupation in Liberty County. Site 9Li1750 consists of a large subsurface scatter of lithics and prehistoric ceramic sherds as well as a small subsurface scatter of historic metal artifacts. The historic component is limited and is not significant. The prehistoric component is represented by translucent quartz and Coastal Plain chert flakes, decorated and undecorated sherds of various temper, decorated sherds of various temper, and a grit tempered Irene rectilinear complicated stamped sherd. This indicates that the site was occupied during the Mississippian period, and represents a camp site. The low artifact density indicates that habitation at the site was not extensive, but was not ephemeral. Disturbance at the site is limited, and includes an old road bed at the western periphery of the site and the site's location on a slope, indicating possible disturbance from erosion. At present, the Mississippian period, specifically the Irene phase of occupation, is under-represented among known sites at Fort Stewart (Mallory et al. 2006:4-37; Johnstone 2004:140). Isolated finds are generally regarded as ineligible to the NRHP. Sites 9Li336, 9Li1749, and 9Li1750 are recommended potentially eligible, and should be preserved until Phase II archaeological testing can provide a definitive recommendation regarding NRHP eligibility. Beyond these results, we find no other cultural resources issues of concern and recommend no further management is warranted.