Archaeological Mitigation of Sites 9ME158, 9ME472, and 9ME742 for Fort Benning Military Reservation in Muscogee County, Georgia

Under a continuing services contract with the U.S. Army Infantry Center, Directorate of Public Works,Environmental Division, Fort Benning Military Reservation, Panamerican Consultants, Inc. (Panamerican) conducted a series of Phase III archaeological mitigations at three sites within the reservation. The objective of this excavation was to mitigate as much of the sites as possible before construction activities associated with the widening of Midwest Road (9ME158), Cartledge Road (9ME472), and Charts worth Road (9ME742) began. This work was undertaken in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as amended; Executive Order 11593 (Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment);and the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974. Three sites (9ME158, 9ME472, and 9ME742) were excavated during this set of Phase III excavations. Site 9ME 158 represents the remains of a historic structure associated with a very light Indian artifact scatter. The entire site covers an area 106-x-78 m. The age of the prehistoric component is unknown as no diagnostic artifacts were recovered during the Phase III project nor during any of the previous excavations conducted at this site. The non-Indian component consists of the ruins of a structure that contained mid-nineteenth to twentieth century artifacts. Although the historic structure has been razed, the structural remnants and associated artifacts are indicative of a domestic house site, most likely a dogtrot style cabin/dwelling. Site 9ME472 exposed evidence of a large multi-component Indian site and a late nineteenth/early twentieth century non-Indian occupation. The site measures 31 0-x-280 m. The Indian component represents thousands of years of prehistoric use and later historic use of this ridge during the Early Archaic, Middle to Late Archaic, Middle Woodland, and Historic Creek (Lawson Field Phase) periods. Though no Middle Woodland occupation was recorded during this study, previous investigators reported Swift Creek ceramic types at this site. Some of the non-Indian materials found at Site 9ME472 may also be associated with the Creek occupation; however, due to the presence of the later unrelated historic component, this association is uncertain. The non-Indian occupation of Site 9ME472 dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and is centered around the ruins of the historic house located on the southern end of the site. Site 9ME742 represents the remnants of a mid to late nineteenth through early twentieth-century farmstead associated with a light post-Archaic Indian component. The site measures 530-x-230 m covering much of the ridge it is located on. The historic component was confined to the central and western sections of the site. The central portion contained a light scatter of stone and a small cemetery, while the western portion was littered with historic trash and structural ruins. Numerous structural remains consisting of scattered stone, brick, and concrete associated with the foundations of at least three structures and two stone and brick furnaces . All three sites, where not mitigated and impacted, are still NRHP eligible under Criterion D. Site 9ME742 has a small family cemetery associated with the site and is full protected by the state cemetery laws. The potential for the presence of human remains at 9ME472 remains a possibility due to the presence of the Creek Indian component and this site should be monitored during construction activities.