Phase I Archaeological Survey of Low Impact Bridge Program, Mt. Airy Road (CR 196) over Ossahatchie Creek

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) proposes the replacement of the existing Mt. Airy Road (CR 196) bridge over Ossahatchie Creek just south of the Waverly Hall city limits in Harris County, Georgia (Bridge ID# 145-5021-0). New South Associates completed a Phase I Archaeological Survey of the project's Area of Potential Effect (APE), which encompassed the existing right-of-way (ROW) for the bridge and roadway approaches. The bridge replacement is part of GDOT's Low Impact Bridge Program (LIBP) (Georgia Department of Transportation 2016), which aims to provide expedited project delivery for least complicated-type bridge replacement projects. The work for this survey was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (36 CFR 800) and was intended to determine the presence of significant archaeological resources in the project's APE. An Extended Survey Corridor (ESC) was not included in this survey according to the guidelines provided for cultural resource survey under the LIBP and project plans were not available at the time of the survey. The APE was determined based on guidelines provided for archaeological survey in the LIBP manual. The project resulted in the identification of two precontact archaeological sites. The sites, 9HS519 and 9HS520, consist of low-density quartz and chert lithic and pottery scatters of indeterminate chronology and function. The portions of the sites within the APE lack significant data potential. However, the overall eligibility of the sites is unknown. It is recommended that an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) be established for both sites once project plans are available.