Archaeological Survey and Testing of US 25/SR 121 from Millen To Waynesboro and Phase II Testing of Site, Jenkins and Burke Counties

Between March 11 and 27, 1996, New South Associates conducted a archaeological survey and testing along two proposed highway widening corridors in east-central Georgia. The archaeological survey for project EDS-565 (11) started at CR 16 in Jenkins County and followed US 25/SR 121 north to CR 118 in Burke County. The archaeological survey for project EDS-565 (12) began at CR 118 in Burke County and extended north to CR 459 in the same county. The total length of project EDS-565 (11) survey was 14.5 km (9.03 mi) and the total length of project EDS565 (12) survey was 13.2 km (8.24 mi). This report details the background, methods, results, and management recommendations of the project. It was decided to do additional archaeological survey work along two sections of proposed alternative routes for US 25/R 121, following a meeting between New South Associates, Rust Environment and Infrastructure, and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) on May 1, 1996 at the GDOT Office of Environment and Location in Atlanta. One section is the proposed on/off ramp which has been moved 30 m (99 ft) west of an African-American cemetery (Site 9BK377). The other section is roughly 3.22 km (2 mi) long and is located west of US 25/SR 121, between a recently abandoned house site near CR 193/Coleman Lane and the Bell Grove Baptist Church. On June 17 and 18, 1996, New South Associates surveyed these two sections. A total of 26 sites and 10 isolated finds was recorded along the proposed project corridor and alternative routes. Site types included 20 nineteenth and twentieth-century sites (of which five occur on earlier prehistoric components), a Civil War earthwork, nine prehistoric artifact scatters (of which four contain Archaic material and two contain Woodland material), and an early twentieth century African-American cemetery. The Civil War earthwork, northwest of Magnolia Springs, is part of Camp Lawton (Site 9JS1), which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Shovel testing along the project corridor yielded no artifacts within or near this earthwork feature. Following an October 24, 1996 field meeting between the State Archaeologist, the Georgia Parks Historian, and representatives from the Department of Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division, Rust Environment and Infrastructure, the GDOT, and New South Associates at Site 9JS1, it was stated that the angled feature represents the reported third defensive works of Camp Lawton. As a result of the October meeting it was recommended that the earthwork can be further investigated through data recovery. A proposed mitigation plan is outlined for Site 9JS1 in this report. Site 9BK375, which is a buried concentration of Archaic period lithic flakes and tools located between two Carolina bays, was recommended as potentially eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Based on available evidence obtained from the site, it was initially recommended that Site 9BK375 could contain valuable information pertaining to the culture history, prehistoric lithic technology, and land-use in the area. Due to the potential for a buried, and possibly stratified, prehistoric component, it was recommended that Phase 11 testing was needed to determine the National Register eligibility of Site 9BK375. Following a second meeting between New South Associates, Rust Environment and Infrastructure, and the GDOT on August 29, 1996 at the State University of West Georgia's Antonio J. Waring Research Laboratory, it was decided to conduct Phase 11 testing at Site 9BK375. A four person crew of New South Associates test excavated two blocks (each measuring 3 x 3 m) at site 9BK375 between April 21 and 29, 1996. To further demarcate possible lithic concentrations at Site 9BK375, a grid of shovel tests (spaced at 3 m intervals) was excavated across the site between May 27 and 29, 1997. Based on the results from the survey shovel tests, the two initial test units, the two Phase 11 block excavations, and the shovel test grid, Early and Late Archaic components were identified. Whereas carbonized hickory nutshell fragments came from the Early Archaic levels, bone fragments came from the Late Archaic levels. An isolated posthole feature was associated with Late Archaic levels at Site 9BK375. The few diagnostic points recovered from the site were either exhausted or broken. These residues, together with a relatively high proportion of maintenance debitage and heat treated lithics, suggest that the site was a secondary workshop. The presence of a few retouched unifacial flakes and some utilized expedient flakes indicate that the site also served as an activity locus for skin scraping and/or woodworking. Based on evidence for disturbance and the fact that the research potential of the site has been exhausted by Phase 11 testing, however, it is recommended that Site 9BK375 is not eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.