Addendum: Phase I Archaeological Survey of an 18-Acre Section of the Pierpont Mitigation Tract Site Bulloch County, Georgia

New South Associates has completed an archaeological survey of an approximately 18-acre section of the Pierpont Mitigation Tract site (Oliver Bridge Wildlife Management Area) east of Statesboro, Georgia in response to a request from Georgia Southern University (Georgia Southern). This survey is an addendum to an archaeological survey of an adjoining 56-acre section of the Pierpont Mitigation Tract that was conducted in the winter of 2014 by New South Associates (Davis 2014). The area of potential effect (APE) for this addendum survey is defined as an 18-acre section located in the northern portion of the Pierpont Mitigation Tract between State Road (SR) 24 and the 56-acre section. Georgia Southern plans to conduct activities as part of a hydrological study of the tract and the Ogeechee River. Because the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) owns the Pierpont Mitigation Tract, the archaeological survey for this project was done in accordance with the GDOT Environmental Procedures Manual (EPM). The work for this survey was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (36 CFR 800) and was intended to determine the presence of significant archaeological resources in the project’s APE. The archaeological fieldwork was conducted June 4-6, 2015.

As a result of the survey, one previously recorded site (9BU103) was expanded into the current survey area, one previously unidentified site (9BU104) was recorded, and a single isolated find (Find 1) was identified. Site 9BU103 is a Late Woodland period artifact scatter located on the landform abutting the Ogeechee River swamp adjacent the eastern boundary of the APE. While portions of the site appear to have been heavily disturbed, the potential for intact archaeological deposits combined with the site’s potential for yielding a dataset useful for addressing existing research issues indicate the site is potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion D. Site 9BU104 is a Mississippian period artifact scatter that exhibits the potential for intact and stratified archaeological deposits that may contain significant data regarding the Mississippian prehistory of this area. Based on these conditions, it is New South Associates’ opinion that 9BU104 is potentially eligible for listing on the NRHP under Criterion D. Find 1 consists of a single chert flake recovered from a shovel test; this artifact is not temporally or culturally diagnostic, and almost certainly remains from a precontact usage of the location. As an isolated artifact, it is not eligible for listing in the NRHP. New South Associates recommends that project-related activities be allowed to occur within the tract with the exception of the areas of sites 9BU103 and 9BU104. If the area within either site cannot be avoided and protected from project-related activities, then Phase II testing should be conducted prior to such activities in order to definitively determine the eligibility of the site(s) for listing in the NRHP and the need for additional management and treatment.