Addendum to Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed SR 107 Widening Project Turner, Irwin, and Ben Hill Counties, Georgia

During June 2010, and May and June of 2012, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted additional Phase I archaeological survey for the proposed State Route (SR) 107 widening project (Georgia Department of Transportation [GDOT] Project Nos. STP-0000-00[311], [313] and [314]; P.I. Nos. 0000311, 0000313, and 0000314; and HP No. 060517-004) in Turner, Irwin, and Ben Hill counties, Georgia. The proposed SR 107 project would widen the existing highway from the SR 112/SR 107 junction with Interstate (I)-75 in Turner County to its intersection with SR 11/United States (US) 129 within the Fitzgerald city limits in Ben Hill County for a total length of 24.43 miles. The project is divided into three sections with separate project numbers.

Project No. STP-0000-00(311) would widen SR 107 from I-75 to County Road (CR) 250/Rebecca-Waterloo Highway in Turner County for a length of approximately 7.9 miles. Project No. STP-0000-00(314) would widen SR 107 from CR 250/Rebecca-Waterloo Highway in Turner County to the intersection with CR 264/Jeff Davis Road in Irwin County for a length of approximately 7.1 miles. Project No. STP-0000-00(313) would widen SR 107 from CR 264/Jeff Davis Road in Irwin County to the eastern terminus at the intersection with SR 11/US 129 in Ben Hill County for an approximate length of 9.5 miles.

The original survey for these projects was conducted between March and December 2007 by EPEI archaeologists (Regnier and Jordan 2008). During that survey, a total of 25 sites (9IR32-9IR40 and 9TN90-9TN105) and 13 isolated finds (IFs) were identified. In addition, two previously recorded sites were revisited, 9IR20 and 9IR21. In 2011, a survey was conducted by GDOT personnel prior to the early acquisition of the Davis Property for Project No. STP-0000-00(311) in Turner County (Gale 2011). This project recorded two new archaeological sites, 9TN106 and 9TN107.

A review of the Georgia Archaeological Site File at the University of Georgia in Athens, and of Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System showed that 47 previously recorded sites are located within a 1-kilometer radius of the project area. In total, 29 previously identified sites (9TN90-9TN107, 9IR20, 9IR21, and 9IR32-9IR40) are located within the overall limits of the SR 107 project. Of the 29 previously identified sites, 21 (9TN90-9TN92, 9TN94-9TN105, 9IR20, 9IR21, 9IR32, 9IR33, 9IR35, and 9IR38) have portions in or are adjacent to additional areas surveyed for the current addendum. These 21 sites were revisited during the current survey (Table 1).

Additional artifacts were recovered from 12 (9TN91, 9TN92, 9TN94-9TN97, 9TN100-9TN102, 9TN104, 9IR35, and 9IR38) of the 21 sites revisited. The components identified at 10 of the 12 sites where new artifact data was collected confirmed temporal information recorded during the 2007 survey. Additional information was gathered at 9TN92, originally recorded as a non-diagnostic lithic scatter; new artifact data from the 2012 survey identified a Late Archaic component. Site 9TN104 was previously recorded as middle to late nineteenth century; new artifact data indicates it should now be regarded as middle nineteenth to early twentieth century.

The additional Phase I survey for the SR 107 widening project also recorded 18 new archaeological sites (9BN25-9BN26, 9TN110-9TN117, and 9IR43-9IR50) and five new IFs (see Table 1). Four of the new archaeological sites (9TN112, 9TN113, 9TN114, and 9TN116) are associated with Ifs identified during the 2007 survey (Regnier and Jordan 2008). Historic components were identified at seven sites, precontact components at seven sites, and both precontact and historic components at three sites. The newly identified precontact components include nine non-diagnostic lithic scatters and one Woodland/Mississippian lithic and ceramic scatter. Historic components consist of seven late nineteenth-early twentieth century artifact scatters, one middle nineteenth-early twentieth century artifact scatter, and one twentieth century artifact scatter. The Friendship Cemetery (9IR50) is recorded as middle twentieth century, since its first known interments were in 1956. The Fitzgerald City Cemetery (9BN26) is recorded as early to middle twentieth century, with interments identified ranging from 1901 to 1952. The IFs identified include four non-diagnostic precontact finds, and one late nineteenth to early twentieth century historic find.

Of the 40 total revisited and new archaeological sites surveyed during the current study, 37 have unknown National Register for Historic Places (NRHP) recommendations. These 37 sites have boundaries that cannot be conclusively defined beyond the project limits, but all are recommended as non-contributing within the project’s area of potential effect (APE) (see Table 1). The three sites not recommended unknown are 9TN90, 9TN92, and 9IR44. Site 9TN90, a non-diagnostic lithic scatter, was fully delineated following the 2012 survey and is now recommended ineligible. Site 9TN92, a Late Archaic lithic scatter, is recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP under Criterion D based on the recovery of artifacts in a sub-plowzone context. Site 9IR44, a historic former house site, is recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP under Criterion D based on the identification of aboveground features and potential depositional integrity.

The Friendship Cemetery (9IR50) and the Fitzgerald City Cemetery (9BN26) are outside the APE for the current project design, but both cemeteries are recommended unknown for the NRHP under Criterion D since the subsurface elements have not been evaluated. The Friendship Cemetery was originally within the APE during the 2012 survey, but following its recordation the construction plans were changed to avoid impact to the cemetery, and it is no longer within the APE for the SR 107 project.

Based on the results of the additional Phase I survey it is recommended, that the project continue as currently designed except for the locations of potentially eligible sites 9TN92 and 9IR44. The potential deposits possibly located beyond the APE of all of the sites recommended as of unknown eligibility, 9BN25, 9TN90-9TN91, 9TN94-9TN105, 9TN110-9TN117, 9IR20-9IR21, 9IR32-9IR33, 9IR35, 9IR38, 9IR43, and 9IR45-9IR49, should be designated as Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) and be protected during construction. It is recommended that 9TN92 and 9IR44 be avoided; however, if that is not a feasible option, then Phase II evaluative testing should be conducted to further evaluate their NRHP status. It is also recommended that the Friendship Cemetery (9IR50) and the Fitzgerald City Cemetery (9BN26) be considered as ESAs, and the limits should be well marked to avoid any impacts to interments during construction.