Test excavations were conducted at the Farmer’s Bottom site in March 2014. The initial occupation at this site was during the Middle Woodland Cartersville period, 100 B.C. to A.D. 550. A second occupation occurred at the site during the Early Mississippian Etowah period, A.D. 900-1200. Both of these occupations appear to have been minor, at least in the part of the site that was tested. The primary occupation at the site can be assigned to the Late Mississippian Lamar period, A.D. 1450-1650. Three radiocarbon dates overlap in the early sixteenth century (A.D. 1500-1510) and the early seventeenth century (A.D. 1600 and 1615). It is possible that all three dates represent a single occupation and not two. The Lamar pottery from the site does not at this time clearly suggest two separate occupations and appears to be consistent with an early seventeenth century occupation. Several features were encountered, including the likely remains of at least one structure. This is an unusual and significant site and focused excavations can provide important information to allow us to better understand a poorly known time period in a poorly known region. As a result, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest proposes to conduct large-scale block excavations at the Farmer’s Bottom site to better understand the nature of the deposits, including better recording of the horizontal extent of the features at the site and to refine the dates of use of this site.
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