Phase I Archaeological Survey and Phase II Testing for the Proposed Atlanta Gas Light Central Region Stride Project

New South Associates conducted a Phase I Archaeological Survey and Phase II Archaeological Testing for the proposed Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) Central Region Stride Project. The investigation was undertaken on behalf of Woodard & Curran for AGL prior to construction of a pipeline. The goal of the survey was locate archaeological sites within the corridor and assess these sites for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility. The proposed corridor is approximately 26.24 miles long. It starts in east Henry County, travels south through Butts County, and ends in Spalding County. Much of the corridor follows along established transmission line corridors or roads, but some portions of the line ran through undisturbed woodland. The archaeological survey resulted in the discovery of 17 new archaeological sites and four isolates . . Of the sites encountered, three were prehistoric artifact scatters, 10 were historic artifact scatters, three were historic house sites, and one was a historic cemetery. A cemetery delineation was carried out to confirm the boundaries of the historic cemetery (site 9BS83) and ensure that it was outside of the project corridor; this study is included as an appendix. Based on the Phase I survey, two of the sites were determined to be potentially eligible for the NRHP (sites 9BS88 and (9BS94), and Phase II testing was conducted on them to make formal determinations of eligibility and assess project effects. Site 9BS88 is a late nineteenth-early twentieth-century house site and Site 9BS94 is an early to mid twentieth-century house site. Both sites exhibited the potential for intact subsurface deposits. The Phase II testing showed that 9BS88 possessed one feature and undisturbed deposits containing diagnostic artifacts. The site possesses research potential and is recommended eligible to the NRHP; however, the pipeline corridor will not have an adverse effect on this site as it does not impact the house location where cultural features were found . Site 9BS94 was found to possess limited undisturbed deposits. These areas were well sampled during the Phase II testing, and it does not appear that further excavation will produce information helpful in answering important research questions concerning the region . The portion of site 9BS94 within the project corridor is therefore recommended not eligible to the NRHP.