Phase I Archaeological Resources Survey of the Proposed State Route 15 East Sparta Bypass, Hancock County, Georgia – USACE Section 106 Report (SAS # 2021-00377)

In January 2018, and between May and October 2020, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) conducted a Phase I archaeological resources survey of the proposed East Sparta Bypass (State Route [SR] 15) located in Hancock County, Georgia (PI No. 0008016). The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) proposes to construct a two-lane bypass around Sparta. SR 15 would be relocated on a new location alignment beginning just south of the Sparta city limits, proceeding 3.1 miles (mi) (5.0 kilometers [km]) around the east side of Sparta in a northerly direction, and would be grade separated over SR 16 and the CSX Railroad with a proposed 4-span bridge. After bridging the railroad, the bypass would continue to the north and intersect with the existing SR 15/SR 22 roadway north of the Hancock County Middle-High School. This project is being administered through the Transportation Investment Act (TIA) program and is a state-funded undertaking. The typical section would consist of two 11-foot (3.35 meter [m])-wide lanes and 10-foot (3.05 m)-wide shoulders, of which 4 feet (ft) (1.22 m) will be paved. Existing right-of-way (ROW) along SR 15 and SR 16 varies between 80 and 100 ft (24.38 to 30.48 m). Proposed ROW would vary between 110 and 220 ft (33.52 and 67.06 m).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is issuing a Section 404 permit for a portion of the project because the proposed improvements will impact Waters of the United States (WOTUS), and the USACE will serve as the lead federal agency for the current Section 106 undertaking. The USACE Area of Potential Effects (APE) consists of the impacted WOTUS as delineated in the attached Scope of Analysis (SOA) documentation dated May 25, 2021, and a 100 m (328 ft) buffer extending out from the impacted WOTUS within the previous survey area for GDOT PI No. 0008016. These six discrete areas will collectively be referred to as the USACE APE, and total approximately 73.33 acres (ac) (29.67 hectares [ha]).

As a result of the survey within the USACE APE for GDOT PI No. 0008016, site 9HK284 was revisited, and one new archaeological site (9HK313) was recorded. Site 9HK284 was originally recorded as an early twentieth century house site with no surface features and 11 artifacts, and was recommended as having an unknown eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion D (Gale 2009). The house was razed sometime prior to 1957. The current revisit relocated site 9HK284 and identified a low-density artifact scatter that was confined to the plowzone. No artifacts or features were identified within the USACE APE. The known site boundaries have not been expanded as a result of the current survey, and 9HK284 could not be fully delineated due to the limits of the survey area. Therefore, the site should still be considered to have an overall unknown eligibility under Criterion D of the NRHP. The portion of the site within the USACE APE lacks integrity and significant data potential under Criterion D of the NRHP.

Site 9HK313 was identified in the northern portion of the survey area. Only one positive shovel test is located within the USACE APE. The site represents the remains of an early to mid-twentieth century homestead consisting of cut field stone and brick rubble piles. In the site center is an out-of-context grave marker. In order to further contextualize the grave marker, additional Phase I testing at 9HK313 utilizing GPR, canine (K-9) scent dog reconnaissance, and ground truthing by mechanical stripping was undertaken. These additional survey methods yielded negative results for burials or subsurface cultural features. As a result of the current survey, 9HK313 lacks integrity and significant data potential under Criterion D and is recommended as ineligible for the NRHP.

Since the NRHP eligibility of site 9HK284 is unknown, the uninvestigated portion of the site should be considered an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and demarcated with orange barrier fencing (OBF). The OBF will ensure that the unknown area of 9HK284 is protected during Sparta Bypass construction activities.