An Archaeological Survey of P.H. Lewis Property, Skidaway Island, Chatham County, Georgia

Skidaway Island is a coastal island located ten miles southeast of Savannah, Georgia. Until 1970, Skidaway could be reached only by boat, but, in that year, the state completed a bridge which connects the island with the mainland. Completion of the bridge led to the beginning of several development projects including a state park and two residential communities. This report presents the results of an archaeological survey of land to be affected by one of these projects. P. H. Lewis and Company owns approximately fifteen hundred acres of land located on the southeast peninsula of Skidaway Island. The company will develop a residential community on this tract during the tenyear period 1975-1985. Realizing the scientific and historic value of the prehistoric and historic sites located on his property, Mr. P. H. Lewis provided the Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia with approximately three thousand dollars for an archaeological survey. The survey was conducted by the author and two assistants during a one month period in late August and early September, 1974. A total of eleven man-weeks were spent in the field. During that period, a surface reconnaissance of the entire tract was completed and over one hundred sites were located. In addition, nineteen test pits were excavated and several sites were mapped. Approximately twenty man- weeks were required for the completion of this report. The author wishes to express his gratitude to a number of people who assisted in the project. First and foremost, the author wishes to thank Mr. P. H. Lewis for recognizing the need for an archaeological survey and for providing the necessary funds. Mallie Price and Clayton Davis, both of P. H. Lewis and Company, were of great assistance on several different occasions. Dr. David J. Hally, Principal Investigator for the project, provided much needed counseling and advice during all phases of the work. Editing of this report was also conducted by Dr. Hally. Thanks are also extended to crew members Tom Gresham and Leila Oertel for their diligence and hard work which made the completion of field work in only four weeks possible. Assistance in analysis of artifacts was provided by Tom Gresham, while all figures in this report are the work of Leila Oertel. Plates illustrating artifacts are the work of Richard Jefferies. Typing was done by Louise Brice.