Archeological Survey of Cobb-Fulton Counties Preliminary Report Tribble Creek, Gwinnett County, Georgia, SCS Site #18.

Attached to t his communication are copies of the field reports from Survey staff members concerning the rock features atSite#18. Our discussions of Site #18 and analogous 'mound'-like features in the Georgia Piedmont have pointed out that no concrete knowledge of these sites exists at the present time except for the preliminary observations obtained at Rock Eagle (near Eatonton) and Fort Mountain (near Chatsworth ) . The Tunacunhee Mounds, Dade County, are apparently later in time and represent another cultural association entirely.

An analogous situation may exist at 9 -Da- 20 (A, B, & C), the Stubb's Mill Site, located in Land Lots 10 & 11, 15th Dist., DeKalb County. 9 -Da - 20/C is a steatite quarry with two or more associated stone mounds. Those features, identified as having mound - like characteristics, are fifteen feet in diameter and from one to one and a half feet in height. They have not been investigated and it is unknown if they extend deeper than the present land surface. I believe that our discussion adequately outlined the need for further research to determine the true origin and function of this type of feature as it occurs across the Georgia Piedmont.

As you know, pure research design is beyond the scope of the Survey in normal circumstances. We are primarily concerned with intact preservation and mitigation of sites at the basic planning level and any excavation undertaken by us is emergency salvage to prevent loss of data when no other course is open. However, the persistent need to verify isolated stone features, such as Site #18, especially when they do not seem to be the result of agricultural clearance, necessitates some resolution to the problem of identification for planning purposes.