Remote-Sensing Survey of the Tybee Island Beach Renourishment Project, Chatham County, Georgia

During the month of September 1997, archaeologists with Panamerican Consultants, Inc., of Memphis, Tennessee, under subcontract to Gulf South Research Corporation of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, conducted a marine remote-sensing survey and terrestrial surface and magnetometer survey of the Tybee Island Beach Renourishment Project area Chatham, County Georgia. Composed of an intensive remote-sensing survey using a magnetometer, sidescan sonar, differential global positioning system, and fathometer, the investigation was implemented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This project was designed to determine the location, if present, of any targets that might represent potentially significant cultural resources or sites in the form of prehistoric or historic materials. The Tybee Island Beach Renourishment Project encompasses two distinct areas: the proposed borrow area, and the beach renourishment area. The proposed borrow area is approximately 5,600 feet long and 2,900 feet wide, oriented northwest to southeast. Both sidescan sonar and magnetometer were used in the marine portion of the survey. The beach renourishment area is located at the southwest end of Tybee Island, and is approximately 1,800 feet long and from 50 to 250 feet wide. The beach area was surveyed by visual surface examination and terrestrial magnetometer survey. Parts of the project area contained large quantities of metallic pollution that created magnetic noise and distortion. However, 18 discrete magnetic anomalies and some acoustic returns were encountered during the marine remote-sensing phase of this project. A total of 18 magnetic anomalies were recorded; 13 of these targets do not seem to represent historic shipwreck sites. The remaining five have been prioritized as to their potential to represent historic wreck sites. There were no acoustic images recorded from the sidescan sonar investigations. With active shrimp trawlers and a history of dredging in the survey area, most of these anomalies are probably debris from previous dredging activity. However, a number of vessels were lost in the area, and it is recommended that these targets be avoided by Corps activities. If avoidance is not possible, it is recommended that these magnetic targets be reacquired by remote-sensing means and investigated by archaeologists to determine their identity and historical significance. Also, the remains of one vessel lay partially buried in the beach renourishment area. This site needs further investigation to determine if the remains are culturally significant.