Archaeological Investigations at Arrowhead Seed Farm, Bleckley and Pulaski Counties

Arrowhead Seed Farm, located near the Bleckley/Pulaski County line, plans to return ca. 10 acres of open field to longleaf pine and wiregrass cover. Site preparation will include using a subsoil plow, which will penetrate to a depth of ca. 14 inches. Disturbance to this depth might disturb intact deep cultural deposits, if present. The Georgia Forestry Commission, who manages the facility, requested technical assistance from the Office of the State Archaeologist, housed in the Historic Preservation Division of Georgia Department of Natural Resources. One archaeological site has been recorded in the project area. Site 9PU92, was recorded in May, 1998, after it was inadvertently disturbed when sand was being removed from a knoll within the property. Work at the borrow pit was halted and the State Archaeologist was notified. The State Archaeologist made a site visit, recorded the site, and recommended that the soil that had been scraped into piles on the site should be spread back over the site. The site visit identified Middle and Late Archaic lithic artifacts and Late Archaic and Early Woodland ceramics. The investigation determined that features were present (See attached report from 1998 site visit), including pits containing bone, which appeared to be food remains. The site probably contains information on seasonality and subsistence, and could therefore be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The purpose of the present investigation is to locate any additional sites within the tract and to determine whether the proposed project will have any effect on the sites.