Archaeological Survey and Testing at Kings Bay Site (9Cam170)

This report describes the results of limited secondary testing and survey of the Rabbit Run Site, 9CAM170, on the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, Camden County, Georgia. In September 1984 an investigation into possible impact of the Rabbit Run Site was prompted by planned thinning of pine timber from the area. In order to minimize damage to the site, the base forestry department agreed to comply with the following harvesting procedures. Trees would be cut at ground level and removed utilizing a small four-wheeled tractor mounted with a hydraulic shear. The tractor would travel in and out of the site on existing fire trails. The only areas significantly impacted therefore would be certain "operation areas" on the periphery of the site, where timber would be stored and transferred to heavy equipment. Mr. William D. Elder from the Officer in Charge of Construction, TRIDENT, and coordinator for Kings Bay archaeological projects, contacted the Georgia State Archaeologist who requested the operation areas be secondarily tested prior to the harvesting operation. Mr. Elder prepared a Scope of Work identifying the areas to be secondarily tested. The project was awarded to Carolyn Rock, who planned the research strategy and directed the fieldwork and subsequent analysis. General field strategy was to test the significance of the operation areas by placing six 1x2 m excavation units in and around each of them. After fieldwork had begun, the forestry division abandoned the plan to use operation areas at the site. Rather than continue excavating isolated peripheral sections, we changed strategy to explore the north and west parts of the site not investigated in the original survey. Our objectives were to better define the site boundaries and to increase the existing data base used for describing ceramic and shell distribution.