Archaeological Survey of Eleven Tracts, Tallulah and Chattooga Ranger Districts Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, Habersham and Rabun Counties, Georgia

In August and September of 2004, Southeastern Archeological Services (SAS) conducted an intensive archeological survey of 218 acres (88.2 ha) of the Chattahoochee National Forest in Habersham and Rabun Counties, Georgia. The eleven tracts surveyed occur in nine compartments, all but one of which are in the Tallulah Ranger District, as summarized in Table 1. These timber stands have been identified as areas requiring preparation for planting following past southern pine beetle infestation. The survey resulted in identification of the nine archeological sites summarized in Table 2, all of which are previously unrecorded. Of the nine sites, five are prehistoric lithic scatters of indefinite age, three are prehistoric lithic and pottery scatters of indefinite age and one is a pair of pits believed to be historic period mineral prospecting pits. All but one of the sites are sparse, plowzone scatters of artifacts that we believe are uninformative and not archeologically significant. We therefore recommend these eight sites as ineligible to the National Register. Site 9HA223 has a moderate density of pottery in a plowzone, and has the potential to contain features and other important information; however, this potential has not yet been demonstrated. We recommend that site 9HA223, located in the southern corner of stand 9, Compartment 240 is of unknown eligibility status in regard to the National Register (a Class II site). It will be protected from earth disturbing activity until archeologically tested to firmly establish its eligibility status. Thus, the proposed undertaking will have no effect to significant archeological sites.