Exchange Park Archaeological Site Survey

In a communication dated March 28, 1975 from Mr. John R. Morgan, Assistant State Archaeologist with the Department of Natural Resources of Georgia, to Mr 'David-Clark of the DeKalb County Parks and Recreation Department, the Laboratory of Archaeology at Georgia State University was informed of possible archaeological finds at DeKalb County's Exchange Park. The Laboratory of Archaeology subsequently agreed to investigate the site(s) of the finds and to assist the Parks and Recreation Department in determining the cultural significance of the finds. In this regard, a meeting was arranged between Mr. Clark and Gary Barber, a Laboratory staff member, at 10:00 a.m. on April 4, 1975 at Exchange Park. Exchange Park is located on the western side of Columbia Drive between Interstate 20 and Interstate 285, in the southeastern part of DeKalb County. The expansion of park facilities, including the construction of ballfields, has necessitated the clearing of timber from the southern edge of the park along Interstate 285. Following the clearing of the land, prehistoric artifacts were collected from the eroded hilltops above Shoal Creek by Mr. Clark, Mr. Gerry Walls, and other county employees. Based on these collections and a subsequent collection by the Laboratory surveyor, the archaeological site has been classified as a Late Archaic Period campsite of the prehistoric American Indian. Artifacts consist of quartz and chert chips, quartz cores, and large quartz stemmed projectile points belonging to the Savannah River projectile point type. The campsite may be assigned an approximate date of 2500-1500 B. C. It has been designated as site 9Da8l in the Georgia State University Archaeological Survey records. The location of the site on an eroded hilltop near a stream is a common situation for this area of the Georgia Piedmont and suggests a highly disturbed archaeological context. These conditions make it unlikely that archaeological excavations of the site would be advisable or productive. The Laboratory of Archaeology does, however, make the following recommendations regarding the Exchange Park Archaeological Site: The DeKalb County Parks and Recreation Department shall notify the Laboratory upon the resumption of construction at Exchange Park and allow a Laboratory staff member to monitor further grading and ground clearing activities. All artifacts recovered by Laboratory personnel shall become the property of the Laboratory of Archaeology for further study and preservation. In conclusion, we express our appreciation to Mr. Clark for bringing this archaeological site to the attention of the Laboratory staff, which indicates a genuine concern by the DeKalb County Parks and Recreation Department for Georgia's prehistoric resources.