An Archaeological Reconnaissance of the Proposed Albany Riverfront Development, Dougherty County, Georgia

A reconnaissance-level archeological survey of the proposed Albany riverfront development was conducted by Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. in May, 1996. The survey involved a site file search and two days of fieldwork along the Flint River. This established that prehistoric archeological sites are numerous and large. Most appear to be quarry related, i.e., they are characterized by large numbers of chert (flint) flakes, which are the byproduct of stone tool manufacture. Although no temporally diagnostic artifacts were found during the present survey, museum displays and discussions with local amateur archeologists indicate that sites span from the Paleoindian period (ca. 9000 B.C.) to the late Archaic period (ca. 1000 B.C.). There are large outcrops of chert along the river which presumably provided the raw materials for tool manufacture. Some of the sites are being looted for artifacts, in probable violation of Georgia Code 12-3-621, a misdemeanor offense. Efforts should be made to stop this looting by notifying landowners of Georgia Code section 12-3-621.

The riverfront development will include bicycle paths, walking trails, and as yet unspecified other features . When the fmal design is developed, we recommend that an intensive archeological survey be performed to locate and evaluate the significance of sites that may be affected by construction. The natural chert outcrops along the Flint River in the Albany area were heavily exploited by prehistoric Indians and constitute a significant cultural resource in the project area. There was relatively little historic period development in the project area and early development (bridges, steamboat wharf) has mostly been obliterated by twentieth century construction. The exploitation of chert as a raw material for prehistoric tool manufacture should be developed as the principal archeological theme for the riverfront park.