Archaeological Survey of the Council Fire Development Tract, Hamilton County, Tennessee and Catoosa County, Georgia

The Council Fire project involved archaeological survey of a 500+ acre tract in Catoosa County, Georgia and Hamilton County, Tennessee, that is planned for development as a residential community and golf course. The project was conducted in response to concerns expressed by local citizens that prehistoric graves could be present on the property that would be damaged by the development. The study tract was believed to be the location of two mound complexes and an historic Cherokee village prior to the survey, and the location of the property adjacent to South Chickamauga Creek indicated that abundant archaeological sites could be expected to be present. Survey of the property identified 14 archaeological sites, of which 13 had been destroyed by plowing and/or erosion. No trace of the mound complexes or the historic Cherokee village was found, and it was concluded that they had never been present on the property. One archaeological site identified during the survey did prove to contain intact archaeological deposits. That site, designated Site 6, dated to the Woodland Period, and contained preserved animal bone. The site was interpreted to represent a single house site of a small hamlet, and was recommended for preservation in place. The report hypothesizes that the scarcity of heavily occupied sites within the study property was due to its location some six air miles from the Tennessee River. That location was believed to be close enough to the Tennessee River to fall into a "dead zone" created by the magnetic effect on settlements and encampments exerted by the very highly desirable exploitation and settlement zone that existed immediately adjacent to the Tennessee River.