Additional Phase I Archaeology Survey of Six Parcels at the Mclemore Cove Mitigation Site in Walker County, Georgia

Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI), under a contract with New South Associates, Inc. (NSA), conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of approximately 161 acres within the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) McLemore Cove Mitigation Site in Walker County, Georgia, in September and November of 2015. The survey area covered six adjacent tracts of varying size identified as Lower Cove Parcels 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10. This investigation is an addendum to a previous EPEI survey of four neighboring parcels on the property totaling 212 acres (Moss 2013). Purchased by GDOT primarily for ecological mitigation purposes, archaeological surveys of the McLemore Cove Mitigation Site were initiated by GDOT’s preservation program as part of an effort to identify and evaluate potential effects to historic properties eligible for inclusion on the Georgia Register of Historic Places, pursuant to Georgia Code 12-3-55. The criteria for eligibility and procedures for listing resources on the Georgia Register of Historic Places are identical to those of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP); hence, NRHP eligibility will be referred to throughout this report.

The survey area falls within the 55,000 acre, NRHP-listed, McLemore Cove Historic District, known for its bucolic, historic setting. In advance of fieldwork, background research included the examination of local history and regional archaeological data in order to establish a context by which site significance could be evaluated. Historical research included the examination of maps, histories, and archival sources, while archaeological records were sought from past survey reports and records housed at the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF). Prior archaeological investigations in McLemore Cove have indicated high frequencies of Archaic, Woodland, and Historic period archaeological resources.

EPEI’s addendum Phase I survey resulted in the identification of an additional 10 previously unknown archaeological sites and five Isolated Finds (IFs). Previously recorded site 9WA343 was also revisited, for a total of 11 sites within the survey area (Table 0.1). All but two of the sites contain Precontact period components of indeterminate period. Site 9WA415 and 9WA421 are exclusively Historic period resources, and 9WA419, and 9WA343 have both Precontact and Historic period components. Sites 9WA413, 9WA417, and 9WA419 have unknown boundaries that extend beyond survey area limits; therefore, their NRHP eligibility recommendations remain unknown. However, the investigated portions of 9WA413, 9WA417, and 9WA419 are regarded as lacking information potential due to site disturbances and low artifact density. For the same reasons, Precontact period sites 9WA414, 9WA416, 9WA420, and 9WA422, as well as Historic period sites 9WA415 and 9WA421, are regarded as ineligible for the NRHP under Criterion D due to lack of data potential. Sites 9WA418 and 9WA343 are recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP based on significant information potential (Criterion D). Future test excavations are recommended at these sites to further assess site preservation and integrity in order to verify NRHP eligibility.