Archeological Investigations of Land Section 02-213 (Sprague Tract) Prior to Proposed Land Exchange Cumberland Island National Seashore

Cumberland Island National Seashore (CUIS) agreed to exchange a parcel of land north of the Greyfield Inn (henceforth known as the Sprague tract) to the owners of the Greyfield Inn in exchange for a larger tract of land in the Wilderness Area of Cumberland Island (henceforth known as the Wilderness tract). The Park requested that the Southeast Archeological Center (SEAC) of the National Park Service (NPS) determine what archeological testing was required and undertake any needed archeological testing. Since the Sprague tract had never been surveyed it was determined in consultation with Park Management and NPS Regional archeologist, Dr. Bennie Keel, that the most prudent course of action was to undertake a Phase I survey consisting of shovel testing on a 20-meter (m) interval at the Sprague tract. Since the area was heavily vegetated, remote-sensing technologies were dismissed as inappropriate for the Sprague tract. The Phase I survey of the Sprague tract was undertaken in summer of 2003. It was further determined that survey was not required for the Wilderness tract since it was coming into the NPS and does not have any undertakings planned that would potentially effect cultural resources. Between June 4 and June 17, 2003, a SEAC crew consisting of 6 archeologists and 3 volunteers conducted Phase I testing of the Sprague tract. This Phase I testing consisted of shovel tests at 20 m intervals following the SEAC SOP. A total of 432 shovel tests were excavated to a depth of 1 m below surface (bs) during the testing. Of the 432 shovel tests that were excavated, 54 (13 percent) were found to have cultural remains, primarily in the form of Native American pottery, with some dating as early as 2300-1000 B.C. The "positive" shovel tests revealed three areas of artifact concentration. The three sites identified during the Phase I portion of the project were named for structures either within each site or near each of the three sites. The Sprague site (CUIS-80, 9CM287), the Greyfield North site (LUIS-81, 9CM288), and the Hunting Camp site (CUIS-82, 9CM286) each produced Native American artifacts that clearly demonstrate a prolonged, if intermittent occupation of this land parcel spanning the last 4000 years. Following completion of Phase I testing R. Steven Kidd (2003) produced a trip report that recommended Phase II investigations be undertaken. SEAC management determined that based on the antiquity of the sites and presence of sheet middens, the most fiscally prudent course of action would be to proceed directly to Phase III to mitigate the effects of the land exchange on the three sites. However, Georgia State archaeologist David Crass requested that a Phase II investigation be undertaken. Kidd (2004) prepared a research design for Phase II and III investigations. The Phase II investigations were undertaken during late March and early April of 2004. The Phase II testing consisted of the excavation of six 1-by-1 m units, two at each of the three previously mentioned sites. The purpose of the Phase II excavations was to determine vertical distribution of artifacts, investigate soil stratigraphy, and assess the nature and preservation of cultural deposits. Native American material culture, primarily in the form of pottery, was collected from each of the three sites investigated. The Phase II testing succeeded in providing substantive data with regards to preservation of artifacts, soil stratigraphy, and depths of artifact densities. Completion of the Phase II testing enabled the NPS to allocate the personnel and equipment necessary to complete the Phase III mitigation. The Phase II testing confirmed the findings of the Phase I survey, in that the three sites, the Sprague site (CUIS-80, 9CM287), Greyfield North site (CUIS-81, 9CM288), and the Hunting Camp site (CUIS-82, 9CM286) are potentially eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places under criteria D for the information that the sites would yield concerning Late Archaic occupation in CUIS and in coastal Georgia. Phase III mitigation conducted in June and July, 2004 resulted in the excavation of 187 1-by-1 m excavation units spread throughout the three sites. A total of five thin shell middens containing Late Archaic, Woodland and Mississippian period pottery were tested within the Sprague site (CUIS-80, 9CM287) and the Greyfield North site (CUIS-81, 9CM288). These two sites are located nearest the bay (western) portion of the Sprague tract. The third, the Hunting Camp site (CUIS-82, 9CM286), is the easternmost of the three sites. The investigation of this site revealed that it contained a considerable amount of Late Archaic pottery known as Orange pottery which dates to approximately 2300-1000 B.C. Excavations of the Sprague site (CUIS9CM287), Greyfield North site (CUIS-81, 9CM2) and the Hunting Camp site (CUIS-82, 9CM286) within the Sprague tract provided SEAC archeologists with important scientific data concerning the size of each site, when they were occupied, the condition of each site and most importantly the nature of each site. From the analysis it appears that the Hunting Camp site (CUIS-82, 9CM286) likely represents a ceremonial, non-shell bearing site occupied between 2300-500 B.C. This is based on the presence of decorated Orange period wares at the Hunting Camp site (CUIS82, 9CM286). These decorative wares are conspicuously absent from either of the two bay sites which were occupied by persons who also produced Orange wares. The two sites nearest the bay, Greyfield North (CUIS-81, 9CM288) and the Sprague (CUIS-80, 9CM287) sites likely represent multiple intermittent occupations based on resource extraction, primarily in the form of shellfish, which were most heavily occupied between 2000B.C. and A.D. 1200. Sites containing Woodland and Mississippian era pottery in shell midden contexts occur frequently along much of the bay side of Cumberland Island and are not considered unique. In areas where cultural resources were identified rigorous mitigation efforts were successful in collecting a large amount of data regarding previous occupations by Native Americans in this area. For testing and evaluation purposes the proposed land exchange (approximately 32-acres) was divided into 1354, 10x10 square meter blocks. Systematic shocel testing was conducted at 20m intervals within the grid resulting in a shocel test in alternate blocks. Of the 1354 units, 49 contained shovel tests that produced prehistoric artifacts in three distinct concentrations, each identified as a separate site. When these three sites were bounded within the land exchange parcel (private property lies to the north and south of this parcel) a total of 224, l0xl0 m squares comprised the three sites investigated. That total reveals that 17 percent of the total land exchange parcel is comprised of archeological sites. During the Phase I-III testing and mitigation a total of 209 m squared was excavated at the three sites combined. This total divided by the total area of site size equals 0.933 percent or roughly 1 percent of the total site area excavated. The scientific data collected as a result of the excavations at the three sites is sufficient to mitigate any potential adverse effects of the proposed land exchange. No additional archeological testing is recommended prior to the land exchange.