An Archaeological Survey of Approximately 90 acres of Salt Marsh, Isle of Hope, Chatham County, Georgia

In October of 2001, an archeological survey of approximately 36 ha (90 ac) of salt marsh was conducted in Chatham County, Georgia. The survey area is located at the southern tip of the Isle of Hope (Wormsloe State Historic Site) and immediately north of Diamond Causeway. During construction of Diamond Causeway in the early 1970s, considerable amounts of fill or dredge spoil were spread across the marsh. The goal of the wetlands mitigation project is to remove the artificial fill and return the marsh to a more natural condition. Five archeological sites were located by the survey, four of which are on the eastern, marsh edge of the Isle of Hope. Summary information is presented in Table 1. Four out of the five sites are recommended as eligible or potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Site 9CH967 is recommended as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It is an old causeway that was constructed by Confederate forces during the Civil War. A second site, 9CH968, may also be associated with the Civil War because remnants of a shallow trench are present. This site is recommended as potentially eligible to the NRHP. Site 9CH969 is a small, but seemingly intact, prehistoric (Woodland period) site. It also is recommended as potentially eligible to the NRHP. Finally, site 9CH971 contains both a prehistoric and historic component. The prehistoric component may have research potential. Consequently, this portion of the site is potentially eligible to the NRHP. Although these sites are technically within the survey area, there are no plans to disturb the edges of the Isle of Hope during the removal of fill in the adjacent salt marsh. Similarly, fill does not extend all the way to the Civil War causeway. Thus, it should not be affected by the project. It is concluded, therefore, that the salt marsh restoration project will not have an adverse effect on any significant archeological remains.