An Archaeological Survey, Housing Authority, Cave Spring, Georgia, 1978

On February 24 and 26, 1978, an archaeological reconnaissance was conducted for the Housing Authority of Cave Spring, Georgia, in an area to be disturbed by building construction subsidized by the Federal Housing Authority. The project site encompasses 8.586 acres. The purpose of the survey was to locate and evaluate archaeological and historical sites and to determine whether such sites were likely to be destroyed or damaged by subsequent construction. In the course of the survey, one archaeological site was located and tested to determine what, if any, significance it had as a cultural resource. The cultural materials which were collected during the survey were taken to the archaeological laboratory at Shorter College, Rome, Georgia, where they were washed, catalogued, analyzed, and are now stored. This report is the result of field surveying, literature review, interviewing and laboratory analysis of the archaeological data obtained in February, 1978. The survey area was first examined on foot. A posthole digger, shovel, and trowel were the equipment used in testing the area and the one archaeological site. The survey area has been under cultivation during the past several decades; however, no crop was presently planted and vegetation coverage was negligible, making surface examination easy. Although, lithic materials (chert) were encountered in three sections of the project area, only one was designated as a site, since the others did not reveal any modified lithic materials. One projectile point was found for the entire survey area. along with several other worked lithic pieces. These will be discussed subsequently. On the basis of one projectile point, it would be difficult and foolhardy to assign the single archaeological site to any cultural-temporal framework. However, the remains do reveal that this area, though not used for habitation by aboriginal populations, was nonetheless used for obtaining raw materials to manufacture stone tools, and also for the exploitation of game animals.