Cultural Resource Assessment Survey Saltsman Property Manatee County, Florida
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CULTURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT SURVEY SALTSMAN PROPERTY MANATEE COUNTY, FLORIDA Performed for: Heller 301 Partners, LLC C/O Falcon Land & Development 1951 NW 19th Street, Suite 200 Boca Raton, Florida 33431 Prepared by: Florida’s First Choice in Cultural Resource Management Archaeological Consultants, Inc. 8110 Blaikie Court, Suite A Sarasota, Florida 34240 September 2005 CULTURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT SURVEY SALTSMAN PROPERTY MANATEE COUNTY, FLORIDA Performed for: Heller 301 Partners, LLC C/O Falcon Land & Development 1951 NW 19th Street, Suite 200 Boca Raton, Florida 33431 By: Archaeological Consultants, Inc. 8110 Blaikie Court, Suite A Sarasota, Florida 34240 Marion Almy - Project Manager Jodi Pracht – Project Archaeologist Justin Winkler and Katie Baar - Archaeologists EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Archaeological Consultants, Inc. (ACI) performed a cultural resource assessment survey of the ±1200 acre Saltsman property in Manatee County, Florida. The purpose of the survey was to locate and identify cultural resources within the project area and to assess their significance in terms of eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The survey, which took place in September 2005, was conducted as a due diligence. However, the survey and report comply with Chapters 267 and 373, Florida Statutes, as well as Manatee County regulations. Findings Archaeological: A review of the Florida Master Site File (FMSF) indicated that one archaeological site had been previously recorded in the project area. JR164 (8MA1203) is a Middle-to-Late Archaic lithic scatter site. JR164 is not considered eligible for listing in the NRHP. As a result of this survey effort, no evidence of JR164 was recovered and no additional archaeological resources were discovered within the Saltsman property. Historic Structures: Background research, including a review of the FMSF and the NRHP, indicated that there are no previously recorded historic resources (50 years of age or older) within the parcel and suggested no potential for the presence of historic buildings within the project area. In keeping with expectations formed from background research, no historic structures were identified within the Saltsman property. In summary, no significant cultural resources were found within the Saltsman parcel and it is the opinion of ACI that this project should be cleared for development. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................1-1 1.1 Project Description...................................................................................1-1 1.2 Purpose.....................................................................................................1-1 2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING.........................................................................2-1 3.0 PREHISTORIC REVIEW...................................................................................3-1 3.1 Paleo-Indian .............................................................................................3-1 3.2 Archaic.....................................................................................................3-3 3.3 Transitional ..............................................................................................3-4 3.4 Formative .................................................................................................3-4 3.5 Mississippian/Acculturative.....................................................................3-5 4.0 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW...............................................................................4-1 5.0 RESEARCH CONSIDERATIONS AND METHODS.......................................5-1 5.1 Background Research and Literature Review..........................................5-1 5.1.1 Archaeological Considerations....................................................5-1 5.1.2 Historical Considerations.............................................................5-3 5.2 Field Methodology...................................................................................5-3 5.3 Laboratory Methods and Curation...........................................................5-4 5.4 Unexpected Discoveries...........................................................................5-4 6.0 SURVEY RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS........................................6-1 6.1 Archaeological Results............................................................................6-1 6.2 Historical Results.....................................................................................6-3 6.3 Recommendations....................................................................................6-3 7.0 REFERENCES CITED........................................................................................7-1 APPENDIX A: Original and First Update of FMSF Form 8MA1203 APPENDIX B: Second Update of FMSF Form 8MA1203 APPENDIX C: Survey Log Sheet ii LIST OF FIGURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS Figure Page Figure 1.1. Location of the Saltsman Property. ...............................................................1-2 Figure 2.1. Location and Environmental Setting of the Saltsman Property ....................2-2 Figure 3.1. Florida Archaeological Regions....................................................................3-2 Figure 5.1. Previously Recorded Archaeological Sites Within and Near the Saltsman Property and Zones of Archaeological Potential...........................5-2 Figure 6.1. Approximate Location of Shovel Tests Within Saltsman Property. .............6-2 Table Table 2.1. Soil Types, Relief and Drainage, and Environmental Associations of the Project Area (USDA 1983). ...........................................................................2-1 Photo Photo 2.1. Looking South at Plowed Field in Project Area............................................2-3 Photo 2.2. Looking South Toward Secondary Vegetation in Project Area. ...................2-3 Photo 2.3. Looking West Along Power Line in Project Area..........................................2-4 Photo 2.4. Looking West Along Natural Gas Pipeline in Project Area...........................2-4 Photo 6.1. Shovel Testing in the Vicinity of JR164 (8MA1203). ...................................6-3 Photo 6.2. Visual Reconnaissance in the Vicinity of JR164 (8MA1203). ......................6-3 iii 1-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Description The ±1200 acre Saltsman property is located north of Moccasin Wallow Road, south of Buckeye Road and east of I-75, in northern Manatee County (Figure 1.1). This survey was conducted as due diligence and complies with Manatee County cultural resource requirements, as well as Chapters 267 and 373, Florida Statues, Florida’s Coastal Management Program, and implementing state regulations regarding possible impact to historic properties listed, eligible, or potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), or otherwise of historical, architectural and archaeological value. 1.2 Purpose The purpose of this cultural resource assessment survey was to locate and identify any prehistoric and historic period archaeological sites and historic resources located within the project area and to assess, to the extent possible, their significance as to eligibility for listing in the NRHP. The archaeological and historical components of the survey were conducted in September 2005. Background research preceded field survey. Such research served to provide an informed set of expectations concerning the kinds of cultural resources that might be anticipated to occur within the project area, as well as a basis for evaluating any newly discovered sites. The resulting report meets specifications set forth in Chapter lA-46, Florida Administrative Code (revised August 21, 2002). P05128/September 2005 1-2 PROJECT LOCATION N 0 1 2 mile Figure 1.1 Location of the Saltsman Property. Manatee County, Township 33 South, Range 19 East, Sections 16 through 20 (State Mapping Office 1989). 2-1 2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING The ±1200 acre survey parcel is located in Sections 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of Township 33 South, Range 19 East in Manatee County, Florida (USGS Parrish, Fla. 1973, PR 1987 and Ruskin, Fla. 1956, PR 1987; Figure 2.1). The project area lies 20 to 30 ft above mean sea level (AMSL), and is located about one mile east of Curiosity Creek. The project area is located within the Gulf Coastal Lowlands, the physiographic zone that typifies the entire coastline of the state of Florida. The Gulf Coastal Lowlands are flat, and are characterized by surficial streams with little to no down cutting. Coastwise parallel, low sand ridges form slight, rolling hills within the zone. Ocean waters constructed these ridges during the Pleistocene Epoch. The lack of elevation in the Gulf Coastal Lowlands creates the near-surficial to exposed water table throughout the region. This high water table results in the poor natural drainage and abundance of wetlands in the region (Davis 1943; McNab and Avers 1996). Naturally Occurring Conditions: Soil types within the survey parcel are of the EauGallie-Floridana soil association, a nearly level, sandy soil typical of Mesic Flatwoods (USDA 1983). Soils specific to the project area are listed in Table 2.1. The natural vegetation associated with the local soils includes South Florida slash pine, scattered cabbage palm, and live oak with an understory of inkberry, saw palmetto, chalky bluestem, creeping bluestem, pineland threeawn, waxmyrtle, panicum, and other grasses (USDA 1983). Together,