Phase I Archaeological Survey of Nine Intersections

New South Associates has completed the Phase I Archaeological Survey of nine intersections in

DeKalb and Gwinnett counties, Georgia, in response to a request from Atkins North America,

Inc. Survey fieldwork was conducted on June 23-25 and July 1, 2015, while the follow-up investigation of the two identified cemeteries took place on July 29-31, 2015. The Georgia

Department of Transportation (GDOT) plans to upgrade a total of nine signalized intersections along State Routes (SR) 8 and 236 under Project P.I. #0012814. The proposed improvements would enhance efficiency for vehicular and pedestrian movements at several locations by providing upgraded traffic signal equipment and pedestrian platforms, energy saving LED signal heads, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps, pedestrian signals, and crosswalk striping. 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 area of potential effect (APE).

                The APE for each intersection was based on the spatial limits of the proposed improvements provided to New South Associates by the Atkins North America, Inc. team who has designed the improvements. An area of 100 feet (30 m) beyond each intersection’s APE defined as the Expanded Survey Corridor (ESC) was included in the survey area for each intersection as required by GDOT in the Environmental Procedures Manual.

As a result of the survey, three new archaeological sites (9GW653, 9GW654, and 9GW655) were identified, all located within the survey area of Intersection 7. Site 9GW653 represents an abandoned historic era cemetery located within the ESC; 9GW654 is a historic era active cemetery located within the ESC; and 9GW655 is a historic era artifact scatter that appears to represent the remains of a house located within the ESC. The site 9GW655 lacks significant data potential. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility of each identified site is considered unknown as each of them extends outside of the ESC. It is therefore recommended that an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) be established for each of these sites. To this end, ESA letters are provided indicating the proposed boundaries of the ESA for each site (see Appendix E).