Phase I Survey of Additional Easements and Phase II Archaeological Testing of Site 9PU100, Pulaski County, Georgia

During August 2009, Edwards-Pitman Environmental Inc. (EPEI) conducted Phase II archaeological testing at Site 9PU100, for the proposed State Route (SR) 11/United States (US) 129 Bridge Replacement over Bluff Creek in Pulaski County, Georgia. The site was initially identified and recommended potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion D (information potential) during URS Corporations Phase I survey for the bridge replacement (URS 2007).     During the original Phase I survey of the corridor, 9PU1 00 was identified as a large prehistoric lithic scatter and historic isolate. The lithic scatter was identified in 10 positive shovel tests in the proposed project Area of Potential Effect (APE). The shovel tests produced 264 lithic artifact and five charcoal fragments, although no diagnostic artifacts were recovered. The potentially eligible determination was based on the density of the artifacts recovered and the integrity of the sub-plowzone deposits. It was also suggested that the site may represent a primary lithic workshop associated with a nearby source of raw material (URS 2007).     Additional Phase I survey was conducted by EPEI concurrent with the Phase II investigation of areas of additional easement that were added to the project corridor since the original Phase I survey. The additional easement survey resulted in the expansion of the known boundary for 9PU100 north of Bluff Creek, and the recordation of a previously unknown historic component. South of the creek, shovel testing resulted in the identification of9PU105, a light Woodland lithic and ceramic scatter.     Phase II investigations of 9PU100 included additional shovel testing at 15-m intervals, geophysical survey, and the excavation of two 1-x-2 meter (m) test units, and the partial excavation of a third 1-x-2 m test unit that was abandoned after it was discovered to be beyond the APE boundary. Geophysical studies were conducted by GDOT archaeologists, and included ground penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometer investigations. As a result of the additional shovel testing and test unit excavations, a total of 10,630 artifacts were recovered. No cultural features were found.     Data from the Phase II work recovered four temporally diagnostic artifacts representing the Early Archaic, Late Archaic, and Woodland/Mississippian Periods. Test Units 2 and 3 revealed intact sub-plowzone deposits containing a high density of lithic debitage in Stratum III of each unit. Stratum III produced a single diagnostic in each unit. However, the diversity of the assemblages from these deposits is low, with only a small number of non-debitage artifacts recovered. Based on the low number of diagnostic artifacts and the lack of artifact diversity it is unlikely that further investigation of the site in the APE would produce additional significant archaeological data, and thus would not contribute to an eligible recommendation. Since the site extends beyond the APE, the overall eligibility of the site should remain unknown. Clearance for construction in the portion of the Site 9PU100 within the currently defined APE is recommended.     The portions of Site 9PU105 recorded within the APE were very low density, and showed a lack of depositional integrity. Based on the data the portions in the APE would not contribute to the eligibility of the site. Since the site could not be entirely delineated beyond the project boundaries, the eligibility of the site as a whole is unknown. Clearance for construction in the portion of Site 9PU105 within the currently defined APE is recommended.