Cultural Resources Survey of 3,377 Acres at Townsend Bombing Range, McIntosh County, Georgia

Panamerican Consultants, Inc. (PCI), performed an archaeological survey of 1,366 hectares (ha) (3,377 acres [ac.]) in response to a Scope of Work for cultural resources survey of selected areas at the Townsend Bombing Range, McIntosh County, Georgia. The Natural Resources and Environment Affairs Office (NREAO), Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS), Beaufort, South Carolina, required a cultural resources survey of selected tracts within the 2,097 ha (5,183 act) of the range. The survey was designed to locate and assess the significance of cultural resources within the project area by means of an intensive cultural resources survey in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, Executive Order 11593 (Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment), and the Archaeological and Historical Preservation Act of 1974, as described in the project Scope of Work. Fieldwork for this project was conducted in two separate sessions, limited by the amount of time that Townsend Bombing Range was closed for maneuvers. The Scope of Work called for an intensive pedestrian survey augmented by the excavation of shovel tests in areas of limited surface visibility in order to locate and assess the location of all cultural resources. A total of approximately 4,433 shovel tests were excavated during the course of the survey: 22 produced positive results, 2,772 produced negative results, and 1,639 were not excavated due to standing water, drained swamps, or previous disturbances in the area. A total of eleven archaeological loci were recorded during the survey. All of the loci identified during the survey were tested to delineate the horizontal and vertical limits of the site and the integrity of the deposits. Nine of the loci contained only prehistoric materials, and two contained both historic and prehistoric components. Three of the loci (Sites 9MC259, 9MC261, and 9MC267) are considered to be potentially eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Prior to this survey, the frequency of sites in the area was very low, and these three sites appear to contain both the integrity and sufficient cultural materials which may provide valuable information into the prehistoric lifeways of the area. The remaining loci are not considered to be potentially eligible or eligible for inclusion in the NRHP and as such warrant no further consideration regarding the presence of cultural resources at their respective locations.