Archeological Survey of the Proposed Jennings Mill Parkway, Athens/Clarke County, Georgia

In February, 2003, Southeastern Archeological Services conducted an archeological survey of the proposed Jennings Mill Parkway, within the city limits of Athens in Clarke County, Georgia. The survey was conducted for the Georgia Department of Transportation, through the engineering firm of Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. The goal of the survey was to locate, describe and evaluate archeological resources within the area of potential effect for the proposed project, so that potential effects to those resources could be evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The proposed right-of-way measures 30.5 m (100ft) wide and approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) long. It begins at Huntington Road and continues west to New Jimmy Daniel Road. At the time of the survey, construction had already begun or was completed on the easternmost 0.5 km (0.3 mi) of the road. Much of the remaining proposed right-of-way has already been disturbed for borrow pits and other developments. Only a small portion of the project corridor is relatively undisturbed. Archival research at the Georgia Archaeological Site Files revealed than no previously recorded sites were present within or very near the project corridor. Additional archival research of old maps and aerial photographs at the University of Georgia Science Library suggested that seven houses were present near the proposed right-of-way during the twentieth century. However, most appeared to be located either north or south of the proposed road corridor. The field survey of the project corridor included visual inspection of exposed ground surfaces and the excavation of shovel tests in areas where surface exposure was inadequate. The fieldwork confirmed that the seven potential house sites identified through archival research are either located beyond the limits of the proposed right-of-way, or have been obliterated by modem developments, or date too late in the twentieth century to be considered archeological sites. However, the survey resulted in the identification of two prehistoric archeological sites (9CA143 and 9CA144). Both consist of sparse scatters of quartz lithics. Because both of the sites extend beyond the limits of the proposed right-of-way, we are unable to evaluate their eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places. However, the portions of these sites within the area of potential effect do not contain archeologically significant deposits that would contribute to their eligibility of the sites to the National Register of Historic Places. We therefore conclude that the proposed construction will not adversely affect any significant archeological resources.