An Archeological Survey of the Proposed South Calhoun Bypass, Gordon County, Georgia

The Georgia Department of Transportation wishes to construct a bypass for State Route 53 on new location around the south side of the city of Calhoun in central Gordon County. The project begins at S.R. 53 southwest of Calhoun and runs almost due east, crossing Interstate Highway 75, and then angling east-northeast to reconnect with S.R. 53 on the southeast side of Calhoun. Total project length is 10.8 km (6.7 mi). The proposed project corridor varies in width, but is usually 76 to 91 m (250 to 300 ft) wide. In March and April 2000, Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. conducted an intensive, Phase I archeological survey of the new right-of-way to insure compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended). In September, 2000 we returned to survey one minor shift in alignment and several added access roads. Since there was very little surface exposure, survey relied on shovel testing to locate and define sites. The primary goals of the survey were to determine if any archeological sites exist in the area of potential effect for the project (the proposed construction corridor), and if so, to determine whether they are significant in terms of eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places. Our survey recorded eleven sites, representing an almost even mix of prehistoric and late nineteenth/early twentieth century historic period occupations. Almost no diagnostic prehistoric artifacts were recovered. Two plain sherds (one each from two sites) and a bifacial end scraper (possibly Early Archaic) were found. We recommend that none of the eleven sites are eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places because none are likely to yield additional important information about the prehistory and history of the area.