Archaeological Mitigation of Sites 9CE100/114, 9CE101, 9CE1733, and 9CE1938 for Fort Benning Military Reservation in Chattahoochee 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. (PCI) conducted a series of Phase III archaeological mitigations at four 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 three roads 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. Four sites (9CE100/ 114, 9CE101 , 9CE1733, and 9CE1938) were excavated during this set of Phase III mitigations. The Phase III study of Site 9CE 100/114 exposed evidence of a multi-component Indian site that includes the Middle Archaic, Late Archaic, Early Woodland, and Historic Creek that is associated with a mid-eighteenth to twentieth century non-Indian site. The site is located on a gentle slope and measured 600-x-200 m. Diagnostic prehistoric artifacts included projectile points and pottery. Projectile points included a Morrow Mountain I, a Pickwick, and a Savannah River. Pottery included fiber tempered plain, Dunlap Fabric Marked, Chattahoochee Brushed, and Kasita Red Filmed var. Kasita. Though no occupation for the Early Archaic, Middle and Late Woodland, or Mississippian periods was recorded during this study, previous investigators reported artifacts of these time periods from the Phase I, Phase I (revisit), and Phase II surveys. Site 9CE101 represents a small Terminal Archaic and Mississippian period Indian site associated with a late eighteenth to early twentieth-century non-Indian site. The entire site is very small and covers an area of 55-x-65 m. The age of the prehistoric component was based on the two diagnostic artifacts recovered from the field investigation; one piece of fiber tempered pottery (Terminal Archaic) and one piece of shell tempered pottery (Mississippian). Site 9CE1733 represents a multi-component site with Late Paleoindian, Terminal Archaic, Middle Woodland, Late Woodland, Mississippian, and Historic Creek components associated with a late nineteenth to twentieth century non-Indian house site. The site measures 50-x-35 m and is located on a narrow ridge slope. There are two historic structure ruins at the site. Structure 1 is located in the northern portion and Structure 2 is located in the southern portion. The Indian and non-Indian artifacts were not confined to certain areas of the site but were found in conjunction with one another throughout Site 9CE 1733. NonIndian artifacts consisted of construction materials (e.g., wire nails/fragments, machine-cut nails/fragments, extruded bricks, container glass, window glass) that gave the two structures a date of the late nineteenth to twentieth century. Site 9CE 1938 represents a small multi-component Indian site that consists of Terminal Archaic and Middle Woodland. It measures 280-x-85 m and lies on a terrace. With a very small amount of diagnostic artifacts recovered, dating the site was difficult. The age of the prehistoric component was defined by the pottery that consisted of three pieces of fiber tempered (Terminal Archaic) and a piece of Deptford Linear Check Stamped (Middle Woodland). No other diagnostic Indian artifacts were recovered from the field investigation. There were no non-Indian artifacts found during the excavations and no evidence of structures. There was one piece of sandstone in the northern portion of the site that was listed as a "possible foundation stone" by previous investigators. Units were placed close to the "possible foundation stone" to see if any historic artifacts were recovered from the area. Unfortunately, no historic artifacts were recovered from those units. All four sites were not fully mitigated and will not be completely impacted by the proposed road widening activities. Therefore, all four sites are still NRHP eligible under Criterion D. The potential for the presence of human remains at 9CE1733 remains a possibility due to the presence of the Creek Indian component and this site should be monitored during road construction activities.