Archaeological Survey and Site Testing of the Proposed U.S. Highway 27/ interstate 85 connector

This report presents the results of an intensive archeological survey of the proposed routing of a four-lane divided highway on new location that would connect U. S. Highway 27 North of LaGrange to the existing interchange of Interstate Highways 85 and 185, east of LaGrange. The 1-85/185 interchange would be reconfigured with several new ramps and several redesigned ramps. The total project length is about 10.7 km (6.6 mi), although with all the various ramps at the interchange, the actual length of corridor survey is greater. The new location portion of the project requires right-of-way varying from 75 to 122 in (250 to 400 ft). The area of potential effect for our survey was the maximum extent of right-of-way or construction limits as shown on project maps. The entire project area was subject to survey except the portion that crosses U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land at West Point Lake. This Corps property consists of a narrow band of land on either side of Shoal Creek at the west end of the project area. The survey was carried out in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, in October 1998. Our survey recorded 27 archeological sites and four artifact occurrences. No previously recorded sites were in the project area, but four ( all ineligible house sites) are located close to the western terminus. The recorded sites can be categorized as follows: Rock piles 9 Lithic scatter 4 Ceramic and lithic scatter 7 Historic house site 2 Historic house site with prehistoric material 4 Historic artifact scatter 1 In November 1998 three sites (two rock piles and a ceramic scatter) were investigated further with additional shovel tests and more detailed mapping. Two other sites were further tested with systematic shovel testing and the excavation of 1 x 2 m and 2 x 2 m test units so that a firm recommendation of eligibility status could be made for every site. As shown in Table 1, we recommend that one site, 9TP930, a large Early Mississippian, Averett phase village site, is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. We believe it is eligible at the State level of significance under criterion d, for the information it can yield on Early Mississippian lifeways in Georgia. The ca. 3.4 ha site (250 x 200 m) contains a widespread, mostly plowzone distribution of pottery along with lesser amounts of lithics. The pottery is about 96 percent plain, with small amounts of incising and complicated stamping (probable Etowah). Preserved subplowzone midden and pits with subsistence remains were found during testing. The remaining 26 sites and four artifact occurrences are recommended as not eligible to the National Register, mainly due to poor preservation and lack of research potential.