Southeastern Archeological Services (SAS) conducted an intensive archeological survey for the proposed replacement of the State Road 51 bridge at Grove Creek in Banks County, Georgia (Figures 1 and 2). The work was conducted for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), through the engineering firm of Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. The survey was undertaken to ensure compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. This act stipulates that federal agencies, in this case the Federal Highway Administration, take into account potential adverse effects of an undertaking to significant cultural resources. The goals of the survey were to locate, delineate, describe and evaluate, in terms of eligibility to the National Register, archeological sites in the area of potential effect for the project.
The field survey was conducted on November 16, 2000, by SAS archeologists Ron Schoettmer and Margaret Wyman. The author returned to conduct additional shovel tests on site 9BA90 on November 20,2000. Archeological testing of this site was conducted between January 29 and February 1,2001, by the author and Nichole Gillis.
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