Forsyth County plans to construct a 2.0 km (1.25 mi) long, four-lane divided roadway between Union Hill Road and McFarland Road, just southeast of SR 400 in extreme southern Forsyth County. The project will involve crossing and possibly affecting some wetlands and a Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit Number 14 Preconstruction Notification has been submitted. One aspect of this notification process is consideration of potential effects of the undertaking (that is, the construction of the road) on significant cultural resources, which are defined as properties listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Forsyth County contracted with Southeastern Archeological Services. Inc. to conduct an archaeological survey of the area of potential effect (APE) for the project. The goal of the survey was to locate, describe and evaluate the significance of all archeological sites in the APE. Archival research showed that no archeological sites were known to exist in or adjacent to the APE. One historic resource, a standing farmstead, has been documented about 220 ft north of the proposed roadway, and the road was designed to avoid this complex. A field survey conducted August 2 and 3, 2007 by Southeastern Archeological Services located and recorded two similar archeological sites, sparse ridge top prehistoric lithic scatters with small numbers of historic period artifacts. Both sites (9FO563 and 9FO564) occur in former plowed and terraced fields and have been disturbed by those processes. There is no evidence (archival or physical/visible) of houses at either site other than a small number of artifacts. We conclude that neither site meets integrity and other criteria for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places and therefore recommend that neither is eligible for listing. In regard to archeological resources, we recommend that no significant sites will be affected and that the project should be granted clearance to proceed.
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