During August and September 2004, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed location for the Athens-Ben Epps Airport expansion project. A total of approximately 148 acres is included. The airport is located directly southeast of the City of Athens in Clarke County, Georgia. The goal of the survey was to locate and evaluate archaeological sites within the Area of Potential Effects (APE) of the proposed undertaking, so that potential effects to any resources identified could be evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The project was conducted under a contract with The LPA Group, Inc. A review of the state site files at the University of Georgia in Athens showed that no previously identified archaeological sites had been reported in the proposed project location. During the course of the investigations, two isolated finds were collected from the proposed project area. No archaeological sites were identified. Due to their low research potential, the isolated finds are recommended as ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Based on the results of the survey, EPEI recommends that no further archaeological work be undertaken in the proposed expansion project area.
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