Intensive Cultural Resources Survey of Oglethorpe Power Corporation's Proposed Combustion Turbine Facility, Preferred Alternative Ma-1, Monroe County, Georgia

Oglethorpe Power Corporation is planning a simple cycle combustion turbine power facility in central Monroe County, Georgia. Fieldwork for an intensive archeological survey and site testing program was conducted during five weeks in August and September 1988. The survey examined the approximately 780 ha project area, a small tract on the Ocmulgee River, and 4.1 km of cross-country water pipeline right-of-way. A total of 83 archeological sites and 32 artifact occurrences were recorded. The site types included prehistoric open air habitation sites, a rock shelter, and a wide variety of historic sites. Identified prehistoric components date from the Early Archaic through the ceramic period (Woodland/ Mississippian). The historic sites ranged from an antebellum plantation with an associated white and slave cemetery to nineteenth and twentieth century tenant houses. Most sites could be evaluated for their eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) based on data collected during the survey. Site testing, however, was conducted on eight sites to obtain sufficient data for NRHP evaluations. Site testing most often included close-interval shovel testing and I x 1 m test units. Five sites are recommended eligible for listing on the NRHP. They include the antebellum plantation and cemetery, a turn-of-the-century farm complex, and two prehistoric simple stamped ceramic sites. Individualized data recovery strategies are recommended for the eligible sites; data recovery will be conducted if the eligible sites cannot be avoided and protected during construction and subsequent operation of the facility.