Phase II Testing of Five Archeological Sites on the Savannah River International Trade Park, Chatham County, Georgia

In July and August of 2012, Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc., conducted limited Phase II archeological testing on five prehistoric sites located on the Savannah River International Trade Park (SRITP) property in northern Chatham County, Georgia. The sites were recorded during a 2005 archeological survey of the property (Braley 2005), but their significance could not be determined from the limited information gathered at the time. There is the possibility that the sites will be damaged or destroyed by future development of the SRITP property. Therefore, Phase II testing was undertaken to ensure that the Georgia Ports Authority is in compliance with Federal regulations concerning the identification of significant archeological sites that may be affected by future development of the property. As a result of archeological testing, none of the five sites are recommended eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, mainly because of low artifact content, disturbance, and/or poor research potential (i.e., they fail to meet "criteria d" for evaluating significance). Table 1 presents basic data about each site.