On August 17, 1983, Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. (SAS), of Athens, Georgia tested 25 proposed tree planting locations at the New Echota Historic Site, 9Go1, east of Calhoun, Georgia. New Ephota was the Cherokee capital during the early nineteenth century, and although it served as a political center the settlement was dispersed. The Cherokee Phoenix, the first newspaper published in Cherokee sylabary, was printed there. There have been intensive archeological investigations carried out in the past, including the excavation of the print shop, but the results are unpublished. Field notes, artifacts, and site maps are curated at the museum located on the site. Since the expulsion of the Cherokees in 1836, much of the site has been in cultivation: currently there are few trees shading the site. To remedy this situation the Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will plant trees at scattered locations. Since New Echota is a significant site, it was first necessary to evaluate the potential impacts the project might have on archeological features. If significant archeological deposits were located, SAS was to recommend alternative tree locations.
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