Phase II Archaeological Testing of Sites 9BR1131 and 9BR1132: Datlon Expansion Project

Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company, LLC (Transco) is seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) pursuant to Section 7 (c) of the Natural Gas Act for the construction and operation of a 111.7-mile natural gas pipeline (the Project) in northwestern Georgia. An initial report of archaeological survey for the Project was submitted to the Georgia Historic Preservation Division (HPD Project # HP-140603-005) and filed with Transco’s FERC application in March 2015 (FERC Docket No. CP15-117-000).

The Project consists of a new lateral pipeline, the Dalton Lateral, beginning at Transco’s Compressor Station 115 in Coweta County, and ending near Dalton, Georgia. The line would extend through eight counties in northwest Georgia to Murray County. As detailed below, the Project will consist of 111.7 miles of new natural gas pipeline in three continuous segments (Dalton Lateral Segments 1, 2, and 3) and a new 2.0-mile natural gas lateral pipeline spur (the AGL Spur). A new compressor station and three new meter stations also will be constructed, and modifications and supplemental odorization equipment will be installed at existing facilities as part of the Project.

Between June 2014 and October 2015, Cardno conducted Phase I survey of the Project within Georgia. Cardno identified 127 archaeological sites and 62 isolated finds (IFs) within the project’s area of potential effect. Of the 127 archaeological sites, only one is considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NRHP-eligible site is the historic Mount Zion Church Cemetery (9BR1069) in Bartow County. The cemetery is currently outside of the Project workspace, and further ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey and probing will be conducted to ensure that the activities within the Project workspace will have no adverse effects on the cemetery. Thirty archaeological sites were considered to have an unknown NRHP eligibility status. Of these 30 sites with unknown eligibility, nine required further work to determine their NRHP eligibility since they could not be avoided by the Project.

This report presents the results of Phase II archaeological site testing at two of the sites located along the Mainline Route in Bartow County, 9BR1131 and 9BR1132. Cardno conducted the Phase II investigation between July 8 and August 28, 2015. The purpose of the current archaeological investigation was to determine if sites 9BR1131 and 9BR1132 meet the minimum requirements for inclusion in the NRHP. Archaeological deposits would be eligible for inclusion in the NRHP under Criterion D if they have the potential to yield significant data relating to the prehistory or history of the region.

The initial Phase I survey of 9BR1131 suggested that the site was a prehistoric scatter with an assemblage dominated by ceramics (n=64). Three of these were diagnostic; two sherds of Cartersville Check Stamped, a type associated with the Middle Woodland period in Georgia, were recovered in addition to a single sherd of Etowah Complicated Stamped, a type ascribed to the Etowah phase of the Early Mississippi period. It was determined that this site contained deeply buried cultural deposits and it was thought that intact cultural deposits could be present at the site. The recovery of daub and fire-cracked rock suggested that these deposits may be related to a structure. Accordingly, this site was thought to have the potential to yield additional significant archaeological data and Phase II testing was recommended to test the horizontal and vertical extent of intact cultural deposits. Due to the deep nature of the alluvial soils, deep core testing along the banks of Raccoon Creek was recommended to probe for buried cultural horizons. Geophysical survey was also recommended to search for buried features that could later be targeted with test unit excavation.

                The Phase II investigation of 9BR1131 involved geophysical survey and the excavation of formal test units. Overall, a combined total of 1,880 artifacts was recovered from 9BR1131 during both the Phase I and Phase II investigations. These were predominantly lithics, but 650 prehistoric ceramic sherds were also recovered, along with 18 pieces of charcoal, 236 pieces of daub, 143 fragments of FCR, and three burned plant remains. Several of the units excavated as part of Phase II testing yielded artifacts representing Late Archaic, Middle Woodland, Early Mississippi, and Late Mississippi periods (3000 BC-AD 1550). When combined, Phase I and Phase II data indicate that this site may have been occupied intermittently for the past several thousand years. Given the discovery of artifacts such as daub, charcoal, and pottery that are generally viewed as indicators of possible long-term use or reuse of a site, 9BR1131 may have the potential to yield additional significant archaeological data and, accordingly, is recommended eligible for the NRHP under Criterion D. As such, this site should be considered to be a contributing feature of the Etowah Valley Historic District. As currently planned, a very small part of the southwestern corner of the site (ca. 30-x-5-m) will be directly affected by construction. This small portion of the site has been tested via close-interval shovel testing with no discovery and, therefore, lacks data potential. Cardno recommends the construction of a 122 foot long fence along the workspace to avoid any adverse effects to the eligible portion of the site outside of work space (Figure 1). In addition, an archaeological monitor should be present during construction in the instance of an unanticipated discovery.

The initial Phase I survey of 9BR1132 resulted in the recovery of a total of 394 artifacts; of these, 321 were pieces of lithic debitage dating to the late Paleolithic and Archaic periods, while 71 were historic artifacts dating to two separate historic periods. Based on the recovery of a relatively large assemblage of artifacts representing three archaeological components, coupled with a degree of site integrity as evidenced by intact horizontal integrity, Cardno recommended this site’s eligibility for the NRHP to be unknown under Criterion D until further testing could be conducted. Test unit excavation was recommended to investigate the horizontal and vertical extent, condition, and content of cultural deposits. Additionally, due to the flood deposits in the site area, geophysical investigation was recommended at 9BR1132.

As was the case with 9BR1131, Phase II investigation at 9BR1132 involved the excavation of formal test units as well as geophysical survey. Overall, a combined total of 4,707 artifacts was recovered from 9BR1132 during both the Phase I and Phase II investigations. This included 4,624 prehistoric artifacts, 76 historic artifacts, two botanicals, four pieces of FCR, and a split nodule. The prehistoric lithics included a number of formal tools, one of which was a Clovis Projectile Point/Knife (PP/K) dating to the Paleolithic period (12,000-8000 BC). Other PP/Ks and biface fragments indicated use of the site during the Archaic period and possibly into the Middle Woodland, to as late as AD 1000. The historic artifacts recovered indicated that there were two historic components to the site: one was a Civil War era component while the other dated to the post-bellum nineteenth and twentieth century historic period. Therefore, it would appear that this large site has been utilized during multiple occupation periods over thousands of years.

While there is some evidence for subsurface mixing in some areas of the site, there is little to no evidence that this mixing is manmade; it seems to be associated with periodic flooding of Two Run Creek and      associated scouring of surface soils and redeposition. There is no evidence for any sort of plowzone and human-related disturbances appear to be minimal. Given the site’s relatively undisturbed nature and potential to yield additional significant archaeological data, Cardno recommends this site as eligible for the NRHP. Cardno recommends a reroute to the east to avoid the site entirely (Figure 2). We also recommend archaeological monitoring during all construction activities within the site area to prevent the destruction of unanticipated cultural features or deposits.