Archaeological site 9BY34 was identified during a 2002 assessment of the SR 126 bridge replacement project over Gum Swamp Creek in Bleckley County, Georgia (Patton 2002). Phase I and II evaluations of 9BY34 determined that a portion of the site between the creek and the paved parking lot of the Oak Grove Primitive Baptist Church was eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. In September 2005, PBS&J was retained by the Georgia Department of Transportation to excavate two lx2 meter units under the paved parking lot in order to evaluate the subsurface integrity of 9BY34 at this location. In order to be consistent with the previous investigations the 2005 test units were labeled Test Unit #5 and Test Unit #6. The results of this assessment confirmed many of the results of the 2002 assessment. Specifically, that the southern sections of the site area have been significant disturbed. No subsurface cultural features were encountered during the assessment and only a slight degree of artifact stratification was observed in Test Unit #5. The stratigraphy of Test Unit #6 demonstrated a significant amount of disturbance associated with construction of the parking lot, SR 126, the bridge approaches, and placement of the underground utilities.
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