Archaeological Survey of Cobb-Fulton Counties Monthly Report for June-July, 1974

During the last week of May, 1974, the Survey received authorization from Cobb County (dated April 15, 1974, but delayed in signing) to proceed with Contract 115 A, 115 B, Morgan Falls Interceptor Sewer. Attachment Number One to this report includes eight items pertinent to this research project. Among the items is a letter to the Fulton County Public Works Department. Item Number Eight, a letter to Cobb County Engineering Department, is a statement of progress for the Project as of July 15th.

In addition to the Morgan Falls Research Project, the Survey undertook a cooperative, emergency project .with the University of Georgia's vertebrate paleontologist, Dr. Michael R. Voorhies. The Survey provided Dr. Voorhies with volunteer student labor and the loan of various tools and equipment. Field Assistant, Barbara Sacharow, took her vacation at this time to serve as volunteer site supervisor. No county revenues were disbursed in this project but Dr. Voorhies has given generous credit to the Commissioners of both Counties. His report, Miss Sacharow's field notes, and the Sunday Magazine article of July 14th are incorporated as Attachment Number Two. The Journal article came from their Cobb County reporter.

In addition to the publicity of the Journal and the Sunday Magazine, WAGA-TV featured the bi-county Survey on "News Scene Remembers" on July l0th on three of the Station's news telecasts. Again credit was given to both county Boards of Commissioners for sponsoring a major contribution to local preservation.

Attachment Number Three contains three items of correspondence between the Survey and Dr. C. G. Holland, University' of Virginia's Department of Anthropology, concerning the mutual project on neutron activation analysis of steatite. The Survey is in process of preparing a second series of samples from this region.

Attachment Number Four contains a series of letters to and from Dr. E. Thomas Hemmings, paleoanthropologist, presently one of the State Archeologists for the Geological and Economic Survey of West Virginia. This correspondence is part of a proposed interdisciplinary project of great scientific import to Georgia and the Southeastern United States. With the discovery of Pleistocene fossils in the Georgia Piedmont by Dr. Voorhies, a new research concept for Paleo-Indian studies is possible. The plan is to gather a series of experts in the various fields of Quaternary research (Paleoanthropology: Hemmings; Paleoclimatology: Dr. Willard Grant; Vertebrate Paleontology: Voorhies; Sedimentary Geology: Dr. Lane Mitchell; Paleobotany: Dr. Edward Bostick). During the coming winter months, when the undergrowth is clear, a period of ten days will be devoted by this team to examining various Pleistocene fossil-find sites in an effort to discover any that show traces of interaction with Early Man in the Americas.

In the past fossil finds have been considered solely in the context of vertebrate paleontology and geology. No archeologist ever examined the find-spot for cultural evidence. Recently Dr. Voorhies found bison, mammoth, and mastodon remains in Wilkes County (Kettle Creek) in environmental conditions closely paralleled along the Chattahoochee River in the Atlanta area. The giant ground sloth discovered near Brunswick in 1971 was associated with a radiocarbon determination of 6000 B.C., well within the range of Paleo-Indian occupation. During the 1930's the Casey Canal, near Savannah, was dredged, uncovering an "elephant graveyard." Dr. Lane Mitchell, at that time an assistant state geologist, was sent to inspect the find. He described finding mammoth remains as occurring only five feet below the surface. Since the discovery of fossils within the Piedmont Province, where no fossils of Pleistocene age were thought to be preserved, the possibility of finding stratified cultural remains in association becomes greatly increased. For this reason, a scientific approach is a necessity. Often important finds are made purely through chance and rarely with ideal conditions. By gathering a team of experts and checking each site from a number of cross-disciplinary studies, the opportunity for major scientific gains is strengthened.

Attachment Number Five concerns the Exploration Quarter students and volunteers who have worked for the Survey during the past year. The Survey's reputation for producing competent field workers is becoming widely known by other researchers in the Southeast. The present instance is an example. The Explorers Club of New York, in co-operation with Florida State University and Tulane University requested three to five students from our past crews. The Survey did send three students who were financially able to go on their own. The project will involve survey and excavation of Utila Island, off the coast of Honduras, and will last one month.

Also included in Attachment Number Five is a reference for Gary Fessenden, one of the first Atlanta School students to join the Survey in the initial program of September, l972. During the interval Gary worked with the Survey as a student assistant, winning two scholarships to other archeological exploration projects. During Summer, 1973, Gary worked at St. Mary's City, excavating a portion of an early colonial plantation. The second trip, Summer, 1974, was through Southern Methodist University for exploration in New Mexico.

The final Attachment is the billing on the new specimen photographic facility being constructed at the Laboratory. This equipment will allow the Survey to photograph specimens directly after their recovery, reproduce enlargements, and aid in the preparation of reports with greater speed. One of the first projects will be the photographing of the specimens from the 1972 excavations at 9Co42, Chattahoochee Interceptor Sewer. There is the urgent need to report 9Co42 and 9Fn14 due to their respective importance to Southeastern prehistory. The acquisition of the new camera will facilitate these scientific reports.

On July 20th members of the Survey staff .attended the Cochran Mill Park Workshop, sponsored by the Department a series of mock-ups and graphs were used to illustrate the Survey's work and progress.