Archaeological Survey and Site Testing for the Proposed Canoe/Kayak Ramp along Norton Bridge Road and the Murray County Wetlands Mitigation Tract, Murray County, Georgia

In October 2000, Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. conducted a Phase I survey of a ca. 57 ha (140 ac) tract of land in the floodplain of the Conasauga River in western Murray County. The Georgia Department of Transportation has purchased this tract and intends to restore its wetlands as mitigation for wetlands impacts elsewhere. The department also intends to construct a small canoe launching facility on the banks of the river adjacent to the wetlands tract. Eight sites were recorded, all low density prehistoric lithic scatters that also contained varying, and sometimes large, quantities of fire cracked rock. In December 2000 we revisited four of the sites to conduct additional shovel testing to better discern artifact distributions. This resulted in the conclusion that five of the sites were not eligible for the National Register, but that three, 9MU135, 9MU138 and 9MU140, had sufficient artifact density and integrity to warrant further Phase II testing, which was conducted in May of 2001. The testing consisted of excavating three to six 2x5 m trenches on each site with a smooth bucket backhoe to determine if sub-plowzone features exist. The testing largely confirmed the impressions gained from the survey level shovel testing. The sites are composed of generally sparse lithic scatters (typically one to three flakes per shovel test), coupled with moderate amounts of fire cracked rock. In all phases of work, no pottery was recovered from any of the sites. The five or six projectile points recovered from three of sites do not readily fit established point types, but are mostly in the Early to Middle Woodland family of stemmed points. The material occurs from the surface to as deep as about 40 cm below surface, but mostly within the 25 cm thick plowzone. Although not quantified by screened excavation, we observed that most cultural material came from the base of plowzone and the underlying transition zone in the various test trenches. At all sites there has been virtually no alluvial deposition and cultural material is almost entirely restricted to the plowzone, or within 10 cm of it. Patches of sub-plowzone midden, probably confined to natural low spots, exist on 9MU135. Because of the shallowness of sites 9MU138 and 9MU140, and the resultant lack of preserved midden deposits and features, we recommend that these two sites are not eligible for listing in the National Register because they do not have the ability to yield important additional information. Site 9MU135 retains the basal portions of a few features and some sub-plowzone midden. While the research value of these partially preserved deposits is limited, we conclude that there is sufficient value to meet criterion d. Therefore, we recommend that Site 9MU135 is the only site in the project area that is eligible for inclusion in the National Register. If the site cannot be preserved and protected in place by allowing natural re-vegetation to proceed, the site should be subjected to a data recovery program that would consist of the hand excavation of one approximately 4 by 4 m unit around the preserved midden (between Trenches 3 and 6), and the stripping of blocks about 100 m2 each around Trench 1, Trenches 3 and 6, and Trench 5. Three very small stemmed points from 9MU138 could date to the Late Woodland period.