Archeological Survey of the Winder-New Haven 230 kV Transmission Line, Barrow, Jackson, and Madison Counties, Georgia

In December, 2010, Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. (SAS) conducted a Phase I archeological survey of an approximately 53-km-(33-mi) long right-of-way for the existing Winder-New Haven 230 kV transmission line. The Winder-New Haven transmission line is the western portion of the Winder-Hartwell transmission line. Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) wishes to upgrade the transmission line structures (towers) on the existing line. The area of potential effect (APE) for the proposed upgrading is focused at each structure along the Winder-New Haven transmission line, where GTC will replace guy wire anchors and improve structure supports. A total of 135 structures are on the transmission line from Winder to New Haven. Each of these structures was visited on the archeological survey. Additionally, the archeological investigation targeted high probability areas between transmission line towers, those being well-drained landforms adjacent to large streams and rivers. The transmission line begins at a substation on the western side of Winder in Barrow County, runs through Jackson County, and terminates at a the New Haven substation on the west side of Danielsville in Madison County. Except for suburban area surrounding Winder, much of the transmission line traversed wooded or cultivated terrain on a rolling hills landscape.     Surface exposure was very sparse and patchy within the project corridor. Consequently, survey relied on systematic shovel testing at each tower location and on high probability landforms adjacent to streams arid rivers. Typically, four shovel tests were excavated at each transmission line tower, each shovel test placed near each of the guy wire locations surrounding the tower. Two or three shovel tests were excavated across the width of the project corridor on high probability landforms. Once a site was detected, additional shovel tests were excavated at 15-m intervals to determine site size along the project corridor.     We recorded eleven new archeological sites and one archeological occurrence (Table 1 ), and we re-evaluated three previously recorded sites for a total of 14 archeological sites located within the project corridor. Six of the 14 sites are prehistoric lithic scatters, one is a prehistoric lithic scatter and a historic period artifact scatter, five are prehistoric lithic and ceramic scatters, one is a historic period house site and one is a historic period outbuilding site. Prehistoric components include unidentified lithic, Early Archaic, Late Woodland and Mississippian (Lamar) periods. All historic period components date to the later nineteenth through early twentieth centuries. Among the 14 archeological sites, we recommended three potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) (Table 1 ). The three potentially eligible sites are medium to large prehistoric lithic and ceramic scatters, each located at and beyond the respective GTC structures. Site 9BW112 primarily is a Late Woodland-Early Mississippian (Woodstock Phase) site, while 9JK11 and 9JK289 primarily are Late Mississippian (Lamar Phase) sites.     Regarding the three potentially eligible sites, two foreseeable alternatives exist. The first alternative is to suspend any proposed GTC structure maintenance activities located on the three potentially eligible sites. In so doing, all three sites will be preserved in place by avoiding potential adverse effects. If maintenance activities cannot be suspended on any of the three potentially eligible sites, then we recommend the second alternative.     The second alternative is additional archeological Phase II testing investigation conducted on the three potentially eligible sites. We recommend a Phase II testing plan that is focused specifically on the direct area of potential adverse effect, which probably consists of the access where the new guy wire anchors will be placed. This alternative requires detailed plans of the proposed upgrading activities at each GTC structure located on each of the three potentially eligible sites. The amount of archeological excavation depends upon the location and extent of the upgrading activities on the archeological site. At site 9JK.ll only one set of guy anchors lies within the site, and these are at the very edge of the site. Presently, we feel that the most effective method for testing these sites would be to use a smooth-bucket backhoe to strip the plowzone and inspect the underlying strata for archeological features. These features then can be documented. Once this testing has been taken on each of the three potentially eligible sites, it is possible that the proposed maintenance activities can proceed.