Phase I Archaeological Survey of Proposed US 41 Passing Lanes, Dooly County, Georgia

In July 2014, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey for the proposed expansions of United States (US) 41 in order to add passing lanes in Dooly County, Georgia (GDOT P.I. No. 0011428). The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) proposes to add four new lanes in three non-contiguous sections of US 41. The first segment, the Southern Segment, includes a northbound passing lane between Richwood Road and Mt. Pleasant Church Road and a southbound passing lane from Mt. Pleasant Church Road extending .75 miles north. The second segment, the Central Segment, is a proposed southbound passing lane between Roberson Road to just south of Pennahatchee Road that will expand the existing US 41 corridor to the west. Finally, a third segment, the Northern Segment, is proposed as a southbound passing lane from Tharpe Road to Northern County Line Road that will widen the existing corridor to the west. The area of potential effect (APE) for this project extends 50 feet from the existing center line of US 41 in the direction of the proposed expansion to encompass the existing and proposed right-ofway (ROW). An additional 100-foot expanded survey corridor (ESC) was added in the direction of the expansion from the appropriate edge of the APE as stipulated by GDOT Environmental Procedures Manual (GDOT 2013) in order to fully account for possible impacts to cultural resources. This report presents a record of the archaeological investigations conducted to locate and evaluate archaeological resources within the survey areas. Prior to the commencement of fi eldwork, a review of the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF) and Georgia's Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System (GNAHRGIS) database was completed. These data indicate that no archaeological sites have been previously recorded in the three survey areas. Expanding the search to a 1-kilometer radius around each loci revealed that one site, 9HT235, had been recorded approximately 1 kilometer northeast of the Northern Segment. The site is a heavily disturbed nineteenth to twentieth century house site and artifact scatter. The site is considered not eligible for the NRHP. During fieldwork, three newly recorded resources, 9DY64, 9DY65, and 9DY66, were documented in the survey areas. Each of these sites are small, historic artifact scatters associated with farmsteads adjacent to US 41. Artifacts at each site, along with historic map research, indicate that these sites were likely occupied during the early to middle twentieth centuries. Based on the small, nondiverse assemblages uncovered at these sites, and the disturbed nature of their plowzone context, the portions of the three sites within the APE lack significant data potential and therefore there will be no adverse effects to the sites. However, the overall eligibility status for the NRHP of these sites is recommended as unknown under Criterion D.