Intensive Archaeological Resources Survey for the North Americus - Vienna (Pitts) 115kV Transmission Line Corridor, Sumter and Dooly Counties, Georgia

A Phase I intensive archaeological resources survey was conducted for the North Americus - Vienna (Pitts) 115kV Transmission Line Corridor in Sumter and Dooly counties, Georgia. The project was carried out as part of the Programmatic Agreement (PA) in place between Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) and the Georgia State Department of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division (HPD). Though technically due diligence, all activities described herein have been carried out in accordance with the stipulations of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (per 36 CFR Part 800, as amended through 2004) and by personnel qualified under 36 CFR Part 61. This project is intended to identify and document archaeological resources within the property boundaries, and assess eligibility for inclusion of encountered archaeological resources on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) according to the criteria set forth by 36 CFR Part 63. It does not include an historic structures survey; as that is part of a separate undertaking and/or does not fall within the purview of the PA. The survey was conducted along a length of proposed corridor stretching approximately 40.2 kilometers (km) (25 miles [mi]) that originates at the North Americus substation along Southfield Road in Americus (Sumter County) and extends west to the Vienna Primary substation on Cordele Road in Vienna (Dooly County). It crosses the Flint River near Drayton, Georgia as well as several major creek systems. Although the survey corridor for these lines is variable where additional parallel lines occur, the overall corridor for the North Americus-Vienna (Pitts) line is 30m (100ft). This corridor was investigated through shovel testing survey at 30-m (100-ft) intervals generally excavated on one survey transect along the project center line. During the survey, Brockington and Associates identified eight previously unknown archaeological sites (9DY57 and 58; 9SU244-247; 9SU249-250) and four isolated artifact finds within the project corridor. During the Phase I survey, Brockington located and assessed the current condition of Site 9SU213, a small prehistoric lithic and historic artifact scatter, previously recorded within the project corridor. Most of these finds are small scatters of prehistoric and historic artifacts and considered ineligible for the NRHP. The proposed undertaking is not anticipated to have an adverse effect on any archaeological sites that qualify for further treatment as a historic property under Section 106 of the NHPA.