An Archaeological Survey of Revised Water Line and Road Locations Associated with the Macon Water Treatment Plant Jones County, Georgia. Contract EMW-95-C-4685 Task Order No. 90

In February and March, 1997, Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc., conducted an archeological survey prior to the construction of pipelines associated with Macon Water Authority's new water treatment plant in Jones County, Georgia between Town Creek and the Ocmulgee River. Proposed pipeline locations were surveyed in 1994, but design changes made additional archeological survey necessary to assure Macon Water Authority's compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act as amended and other federal regulations concerning cultural resources. In addition, an archaeologist with PaRR monitored initial ground disturbance associated with road construction activities in two areas adjacent to previously recorded archaeological sites (the Tarver site (9J06) and the Little Tarver site (9J198)).

The survey covered a total of 4 km of new pipeline corridor and consisted of walkover survey, systematic shovel testing, test unit excavation, and backhoe trenching. In addition, about 500 m of road that deviated from the original design was also surveyed in the northern part of the property. The road followed a pre-existing dirt road, and except for paving, it had already been constructed at the time of the survey. Archaeological monitoring was conducted on two separate days to verify limits of previously recorded sites. As a result of these activities, archaeologists identified three archaeological sites and three artifact occurrences.

Field Site 1 is a multicomponent prehistoric site located in a large floodplain adjacent to the Ocmulgee River. Test units show that there is little archeological material within the proposed centerline for the pipe. However, an area of dense artifact deposits located 13 m northwest of the pipeline outside the proposed right-of-way. Since these deposits are buried beneath 30-40 cm of alluvium, they will not be adversely affected by using the area for a construction staging area. That portion of the site within the pipeline corridor is considered ineligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The eligibility of the remainder of the site, whose boundaries have not been determined, is unknown at this time.

Field Site 2 is a temporally undiagnostic lithic scatter that was defined on the basis of nine positive shovel tests. Information gained during Phase I survey is insufficient to evaluate whether the site is eligible for listing on the NRHP, however, the site's boundaries have been clearly defined, and it is recommended that the pipeline corridor be shifted to avoid this site altogether. Field Site 2 would then be outside the area of potential effects.

Field Site 3 appears to be an 18th century Creek Indian site that is contemporaneous with the Tarver (9JO6) and Little Tarver (9JO198) sites to the southeast. The eligibility of this site is unknown, but as currently proposed on engineering plans the pipeline will pass to the east of the site.

The three artifact occurrences were identified during walkover survey and shovel testing. Since no other artifacts were found after further investigation, these artifacts are considered isolated finds that are not eligible for the NRHP. Except for a prehistoric artifact occurrence outside the right-of-way, no archeological material was present along the newly constructed road, and no archaeological features were identified adjacent to the Tarver site (9J06) or the Little Tarver site (9J198) during road construction monitoring.