A Phase I intensive archaeological resources survey was conducted for the proposed Wilco‑Carbo Ceramics 115kV Transmission Line in Wilkinson County, Georgia. The project was carried out as part of the Programmatic Agreement (PA) in place between Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) and the Georgia State Department of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division (HPD). Though technically due diligence, all activities described herein have been carried out in accordance with the stipulations of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (per 36 CFR Part 800, as amended through 2004) and by personnel qualified under 36 CFR Part 61. This project is intended to identify and document archaeological resources within the property boundaries, and assess eligibility for inclusion of encountered archaeological resources on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) according to the criteria set forth by 36 CFR Part 63. It does not include an historic structures survey; as that is part of a separate undertaking and/or does not fall within the purview of the PA.
The survey was conducted along a length of proposed corridor stretching approximately 8.2 kilometers (km) (5.3 miles [mi]), which extends from the Wilco Substation site north and east, across Commissioner Creek and the Norfolk Southern Railroad, to the proposed site of the Carbo Ceramics Substation. The proposed right‑of‑way (ROW) for these lines generally measures 23.5 meters (m) (77 feet [ft]) in width on either side of the centerline (47 m [154 ft] total width) and falls partially within existing clear cut utility corridor. This project does not include the survey of the proposed 5.5‑acre Carbo Ceramics Substation, which is to be addressed in a later addendum to this report.
During the survey, Brockington and Associates identified three previously unknown archaeological sites (9WK112‑114), all small, undiagnostic artifact scatters. Site 9WK114 is a scatter of chert debitage (n=7), while the other two are small historic ceramic scatters. These finds are small occurrences of historic or prehistoric material and are considered ineligible for the NRHP.
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