Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Roundabout at the Intersection of SR 275 and CR 307/Rincon-Stillwell Road, Effingham County, Georgia

In December 2014 and January 2015, Edwards‑Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey for the proposed roundabout at the intersection of State Route (SR) 275 and County Road (CR) 307/Rincon‑Stillwell Road in Effingham County, Georgia (Georgia Department of Transportation [GDOT] P.I. No. 0009872). The proposed improvements include the construction of a roundabout of approximately 200 feet in diameter at the intersection itself and widening of the approach from each direction in order to compensate for the addition of a turning lane. The majority of these improvements will take place within the current 25 foot rightof‑way (ROW); however, an additional 16 feet of ROW will be added to the roundabout itself to compensate for widening. The area of potential effect (APE) for this survey area includes the corridors of the existing portions of SR 275 and CR 307 that form the approach, as well as the footprint of the proposed roundabout. An additional 100‑foot expanded survey corridor (ESC) was added to all sides of the intersection as stipulated by Georgia Department of Transportation=s (GDOT) Environmental Procedures Manual in order to fully account for possible impacts to cultural resources. Prior to the commencement of fieldwork, 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 survey area. EPEI=s historic resource survey of the survey area identified one historic property that was recommended eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion C (Brown 2014) within the survey area. This property, along with its NRHP boundaries are discussed further in Chapter 4. Expanding the search to a 1‑kilometer radius revealed that there were three archaeological sites, 9EF246, 9EF247, and 9EF248, recorded within the project vicinity. Sites 9EF246 and 9EF247 were small, precontact artifact scatters and site 9EF248 was an early twentieth century artifact scatter. All three sites were recorded southwest of the survey area and were recommended to be ineligible for the NRHP under Criterion D. Additional information on these sites can be found in Chapter 2 of this document. As a result of this survey, one newly recorded site, 9EF305, and two isolated finds (Isolated Find [IF] 1 and IF 2) were documented in the survey area. Site 9EF305 was recorded in the APE in the southern portion of the survey area and yielded artifacts consistent with an early to middle twentieth century deposition and is interpreted as the material remains of a historic house site visible on a 1951 aerial. Based on the small, non‑diverse assemblage collected from 9EF305 and the disturbed nature of its plowzone context (all of the artifacts were recorded from the first stratum, which has been disturbed by cultivation), the site is unlikely to contribute significantly to the culture history of the area. Furthermore, the site lacks integrity of space, time, and occupation and no longer Aexpresses a historic layout and design@ (Joseph et al. 2004: 221). The cultural deposit represented at 9EF305 only offers a general sense of the occupation represented. For these reasons, the site does not retain integrity or significance under NRHP evaluation Criterion D. IF 1 and IF 2 both consisted of isolated lithic reduction flakes identified within the southeastern portion of the survey area. IF 1 was identified within the APE, southeast of the intersection and IF 2 was documented in the ESC in the eastern portion of the project area. These isolated artifacts are considered not eligible for the NRHP by definition; however, IF 2 could not be fully delineated and further work may be necessary to establish its undefined boundary should impacts be planned in its immediate vicinity.