Highway Salvage Archaeology-Georgia Project I-75-1 (24), Lowndes County, Georgia

The tentative interpretation of the Lilly Site (9LW2), without benefit of formal analysis, is that there was sporadic seasonal occupation in the area of the lakes, perhaps during times of drought. Agriculture was probably pretty well limited to the alluvial flats of rivers (e.g., Kolomoki) since the Valdosta area does not show much evidence of intensive agriculturalists, especially I the Late Woodland and Middle Mississippi periods. Flint, petrified wood, and chunks of fossil coral were obtained, via trade or actual trips, from quarries on the Withlacoochee River to the west, and possibly from the Little and Flint Rivers. Greenstone (shown by one celt fragment) was probably traded down from the north, as were steatite or soapstone vessels. Hunting of deer and numerous other animals, gathering a wide variety of plants, and fishing were undoubtedly the main pursuits at the site. Even today, cotton, tobacco and the soil bank support the local farmers, not subsistence agriculture. Bone implements probably were commonly used, as sandstone abrading stones are present. No evidence of houses or garbage pits was found, but this may be due to root and animal disturbance. An iron nail, homemade, was found 2 ½ feet below the surface with no indications of an intrusive pit present, indicating the amount of disturbance present. Shifting sand conditions may also have added to this mixture. All in all, the occupying groups were probably small in number and nomadic. Evidence of this sort of habitation is the same throughout the lime sink region.