Archeological Survey of Dublin Area Improvements, Twiggs and Laurens Counties, Georgia

This report presents the results of intensive archeological surveys at three project areas that collectively are referred to as the Dublin Area Improvements. The three projects consist of the proposed 6.2 ac Shaddock Creek 115 kV Substation in Laurens County, the proposed 6.67 ac Dirt Road 115 kV Substation in Twiggs County, and the reinvestigation of three potentially eligible sites that were recorded during a 1984 archeological survey of the Jeffersonville-Danville 115 kV Transmission Line in Twiggs County. The surveys, conducted in late June 2015, were undertaken in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as it applies to the Rural Utilities Service, which is partially funding the proposed projects.

Archival research showed that a house older than 50 years had once stood in each of the substation tracts, and that these were likely to be detected as archeological sites today. Previous archeological research showed that prehistoric lithic scatters are common throughout the project vicinity. Historic period house site 9LS333 and prehistoric lithic scatter site 9LS334 were found in the Shaddock Creek Substation tract. Historic and prehistoric artifact scatter site 9TW205 was found in the Dirt Road Substation tract. Based on poor integrity and a lack of further research potential (National Register criterion D), we recommend that none of these three sites are eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

We returned to the three prehistoric lithic scatter sites recorded in 1984 as potentially eligible for listing in the National Register, 9TW2, 9TW5 and 9TW7 to conduct systematic shovel testing and a reevaluation. We conducted 15-m interval shovel testing along and within the transmission line corridor at all three sites and recovered very little material. We conclude that all three sites are very sparse, plowzone scatters of prehistoric lithic material with little to no further research potential. While we have not fully investigated the entire extent of all three sites, we believe we have gathered enough information to be able to recommend that the full extent of all three sites are not eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

We conclude that no significant (eligible) archeological sites will be affected by proposed improvements at the Dublin Area projects, namely the Shaddock Creek 115 kV Substation, the Dirt Road 115 kV Substation and previously recorded sites 9TW2, 9TW5 and 9TW7.