Shovel Test Archaeological Investigations Along a 500-Meter Segment of the East Point-Villa Rica Primary/Gordon Foods Transmission Line Right-of-Way

On June 4, 2014, Brockington and Associates, Inc. completed a baseline transect of shovel tests along an approximately 500-meter line segment, parallel to the western edge of Georgia Power East Point-Villa Rica Primary/Gordon Foods Transmission Line right-of-way (ROW), approximately 3.3 meters (1 0 feet) from the staked edge (Figure 1 ). The shovel test transect is located within Sweetwater Creek State Park, Douglas County, Georgia. This investigation was completed for due diligence management purposes only, and does not meet requirements outlined under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), or other permit requirements. It had been reported that ongoing Georgia Power Company directional drilling could potentially impact previously recorded Sites 9DO 181 and 9DO 182. Within the ROW, Site 9D0181 measures approximately 180 meters (NW to SE) by 45 meters (NE to SW). The site represents a prehistoric Mississippian lithic and ceramic artifact scatter on a first terrace at the confluence of Sweetwater Creek and the Chattahoochee River. Within the ROW, Site 9D0182 measures approximately 30 meters (N to S) by 35 meters (E to W). The site represents a prehistoric ceramic scatter on a natural levee that overlooks a slough that separates it from 9D0181. These sites were recorded in 2012 by Southeastern Archaeological Services (SAS) during an archaeological survey for a Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) transmission line (Braley 2013). SAS recommended both 9D0181 and 9D0182 potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Boundaries for these archaeological sites were not defined beyond the transmission line corridor ROW. During the present investigation, shovel testing began at an unnamed branch tributary of Sweetwater Creek and extended southeast to the Chattahoochee River. Fieldwork was completed by Jeff Sherard and Scott Butler. The ROW is periodically maintained with a brushmower. Vegetation consists primarily of low grasses, weeds, and broom sage, with zero percent surface visibility (Figure 2). Fieldwork involved shovel testing. All shovel tests measured 30 em in diameter and excavated to sterile subsoil, when possible. Shovel test fill was screened through quarter-inch mesh. As outlined in our scope-of-work, shovel testing along this transect was completed at 30-meter intervals outside the recorded archaeological site boundaries, and at 15-meter intervals within recorded site boundaries. However, determination of precise site boundaries from the site form information was somewhat problematic. In all, we excavated 22 shovel tests along this transect.