Phase II Testing of Fifteen Archaeological Sites Associated with the Planned Center Point-Moss Lake No. 2 Transmission Line, Gordon and Whitfield Counties, Georgia

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) contracted with Tennessee Valley Archaeological Research (TVAR) to conduct Phase II testing at 15 archaeological sites (9GO354, 9GO356, 9GO357, 9GO361, 9GO365, 9GO367, 9GO370, 9GO375, 9GO376, 9GO379, 9GO386, 9GO390, 9WD164, 9WD165, and 9WD171) located within the area of potential effects (APE) associated with TVA’s planned Center Point-Moss Lake No. 2 transmission line project in Gordon and Whitfield counties, Georgia. These 15 sites were documented during TVAR’s archaeological survey of the APE associated with the planned Center Point-Moss Lake No. 2 transmission line in February and March, 2015 (Meeks et al. 2016). During consultation between TVA and the Georgia Historic Preservation Division (HPD), the HPD concurred that the 15 sites listed above are of undetermined eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) pending further investigations. The Phase II testing program explored the nature and distribution of archaeological deposits within those portions of each site that fell within the APE. Testing was conducted to the extent necessary to assess the integrity and data potential of cultural deposits present to further inform on each site’s NRHP eligibility status.

Fieldwork for the Phase II project was conducted between March and June, 2016. As a result of the field study, nine of the sites are recommended as not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP (9GO354, 9GO357, 9GO367, 9GO370, 9GO376, 9GO379, 9GO386, 9WD165, and 9WD171), while six of sites are recommended as eligible for inclusion in the NRHP (9GO356, 9GO361, 9GO365, 9GO375, 9GO390, and 9WD164).