Phase III Archaeological Investigations of 9PM2081

From July 11 through July 26, 2011, Brockington and Associates, Inc., conducted Phase III investigations at Site 9PM2081 in Putnam County, Georgia. This work was performed for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) under a subcontract with Atkins, Inc. Phase III investigations were conducted as a mitigation measure due to impending effects to the site as a result of the widening of US 441/SR24 and the 7.9- acre (3.1-hectare) expansion of the John Stevens Borrow Pit (see Report Summary Table). These investigations are part of GDOT Project EDS00-0441-00 (040), Putnam County; PI222470; HP980429-008 and are in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended). The project will have a direct adverse effect to a portion of archaeological Site 9PM2081 by constructing a temporary driveway easement positioned adjacent to the newly constructed portion of US 441/SR 24 in the central portion of the site on its eastern periphery. Indirectly, the GDOT project will have an adverse effect to archaeological Site 9PM2081 because it provides the access by which the landowner will commercially develop his property, which will completely remove the site. 9PM2081 is located approximately 165 meters (541 feet) south of the intersection of Aspenwood Court and United States (US) 441 State Route (SR) 24. The site is located approximately 50 meters (164 feet [ft]) west of the existing US 441/SR 24 and is situated on a knoll in a grassy pasture. Through background research and Phase I and Phase III field investigations, 9PM2081 has been identified as a likely late nineteenth century to early twentieth-century tenant house. It is located on land once owned by the Garrard and Johnson families, which was known as Woods Place Farm. Fieldwork for the Phase I Archaeological Survey was conducted by Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. on March 1, 2011, and consisted of intensive systematic shovel testing on a 30-by-30-meter (98.4 ft-by-98.4 ft) grid and site delineation tests on a 10-meter (32.8-ft) grid. Judgmental surface reconnaissance of the proposed borrow pit expansion area and haul road was also conducted.