(9Co45) and the Butler Creek (9Co46) Sites
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COSA/DE-1001AD-A243 695 Archeological Test Excavations at The Lake Acworth Site (9Co45) and The Butler Creek Site (9Co46) Allatoona Lake, Cobb County, Georgia ~ rr DanL~r Cartersileso AlWoodotocell New SouthAssociate StNewMoutin Gesoria3008 :2 7 unclassified SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE ('hen Date Fnt.red) READ INSTRUCTIONS REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE BEFORE COMPLETING FORM I REPORT NUMBER 2. GOVT ACCESSION NO. 3. RECIPIENT'S CATALOG NUMBER COESAM/PDER-91/0001 4. TITLE (and Subtitle) S. TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED Archeological Test Excavations at the Lake Acworth Final; 6/90-l/91 (9Co45) and Butler Creek (9Co46) Sites: Two Pre- historic Settlements in the Piedmont Uplands, 6. PERFORMINGORG. REPORT NUMBER Allatoona Lake. Cobb County, C~eorgia 54 7. AUTHOR(s) 8. CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER(s) J. S. Cable and L. E. Raymer, with contributions by J. H. Raymer and C. E. Cantley DACW01-90-C-0144 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 10 PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT, TASK AREA & WORK UNIT NUMBERS New South Associates, Inc. 4889 Lewis Road Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083 11. CONTROLLING OFFICE NAME AND ADDRESS 12. REPORT DATE U. S. Army Corps of Engineers - Mobile October 31, 1991 109 St. Joseph Street 13. NUMBER OF PAGES Mobile, Alabama 36628 222 14. MONI TORING AGENCY NAME & ADDRESS(If different from Controlling Office) IS. SECURITY CLASS. (of this report) unclassified IS. DECLASSI FIC ATION/DOWNGRADING SCHEDULE 16. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (of this Report) unrestricted 17. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (of the abstract entered In Block 20, If different from Report) unrestricted IS. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 19. KEY WORDS (Continue on reverse aide If neceseary and Identify by block number) archeological data recovery, Georgia, Allatoona Lake, Cobb County, Mississippian Woodland 2G. ABST'R ACT (Chomat am rveere f if ne .evema y identify by block number) This report adresses the results of archeological testing investigations at overlooking Butler Creek at the extreme southeastern end of the Lake Acworth subimpoundment. These sites were initially recorded by the Smithsonian Instit- ution and National Park Service in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and were revisited by Southeastern Archaeological Services in a survey of property above Allatoona Lake floodpool in 1985 and 1986. At that time it was recommended that these sites were potentially eligible for t2c Utional Register of Historic DI O 1473 EDITnoo I NOV GS IS OBSOLETE unclassifietd SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE (Phen Data Entered) unclassified SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF T41S PAGE(Whe Data Bntered) Places, but required testing phase investigations before final determinations of eligibility could be made. Plans initiated by the Cobb County Parks and Recreation Department to build the Lake Acworth Colf Complex on public land including these sites led to the current testing project. Testing documented that both sites contained undisturbed deposits below the plowzone and a high degree of integrity. The occupation records and configurations further suggest that both can contribute to resolving many of the long-standing probi that exist in the Allatoona Lake cultural sequence. As a consequence, both sites are judged to be significant and appear to be eligible to the National Register of Historic Places. This determination was concurred by the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office. Site 9Co46 will be preserved as green space within the planned golf course development, however, a program of data recovery investigation will be necessary for 9Co45 in order to mitigate the adverse impact which will affect portions of that site. uncl assifi ed SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE(i7hen Data Entered) COESAM/PDER-91/0001 ARCHEOLOGICAL TEST EXCAVATIONS AT THE LAKE ACWORTH (9Co45) AND BUTLER CREEK (9Co46) SITES: TWO PREHISTORIC SETTLEMENTS IN THE PIEDMONT UPLANDS, ALLATOONA LAKE, COBB COUNTY, GEORGIA CONTRACT NO. DACW01-90-C-0144 Report funded by and prepared for: The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Ao Fr / Mobile District IA P. O. Box 2288 ,3,t ' L. Mobile, Alabama 36628-0001 " .1 t :£"r__. ------ Report submitted by: "e-/oerh, New South Associates 4889 Lewis Road Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083 John S. a. ,JohnS. Cal ... rincipal Inv estigator and Author Leslie E. Raymer - Ethnobotanist and Co-Author with contributions by John H. zaymeri - Geologist and Charles E. Cantley - Archeologist New South Associates Technical Report 54 October 31, 1991 ABSTRACT Between July 23rd and August 16th, 1990, New South Associates, Inc. conducted archeological test excavations on two prehistoric sites (9Co45 and 9Co46) within the public use area of Allatoona Lake. The project was sponsored by the Mobile Corps of Engineers (Contract Number DACW01-90-C-0144). The sites (9Co45 and 9Co46) are situated on adjacent ridge noses overlooking Butler Creek at the extreme southeastern end of the sub-impoundment and on the opposite side of Lake Acworth from the town of Acworth. The sites were initially recorded as a consequence of archeological investigations conducted by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Park Service in the late 1940s and early 1950s (Caldwell 1950, 1957; Caldwell and McCann 1947; Miller n.d.). Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. revisited the sites during a survey of the Allatoona project land holdings above the floodpool in 1985 and 1986 (Ledbetter et al. 1986). At that time it was recommended that the sites be further evaluated should future development plans involve the prospect of damaging impacts. Due to plans initiated by Cobb County Parks and Recreation Department to build the Lake Acworth Golf complex on a portion of the public use area of Allatoona Lake, adjacent to the Lake Acworth Sub-Impoundment, which may effect these archeological sites, a program of archeological test investigation was initiated. Testing documented that both sites contained undisturbed deposits below the plowzone and a high degree of integrity. The occupation records and configurations further suggest that both can contribute to resolving many of the long-standing problems that exist in Allatoona Lake cultural sequence. As a consequence, both sites are judged to be significant and appear to be eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Recent modifications to the plan of the golf course indicate that 9Co46 will be avoided, but that 9Co45 will be partially impacted by construction of an access road. It is recommended that a data recovery program be initiated on that portion of the site which will be directly impacted by construction. In addition, it is recommended that Cobb County develop a protection plan for the two sites to be enacted after construction of the golf course so that access can be denied to potential site vandals. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The final product of any archeological project is a group effort and the authors would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work and assistance of those individuals who contributed to the planning, implementation, interpretation, and, happily, the completion of this project. Above all, the guidance and encouragement of Ms. Dottie Gibbens of the Mobile Corps of Engineers is gratefully acknowledged. Ms. Gibbens' knowledge of Allatoona archeology and appreciation for the research potential of the sites reported herein greatly facilitated our ability to undertake this study. Also at the Corps Resourc'P Managers Office at Allatoona Lake we would like to thank Mr. Carl Etheridge, Mr. Robert Gentry, and Mr. Ken Huddleston for their assistance and cooperation. Mr. Etheridge in particular is deserving of a considerable debt of gratitude on our behalf. Mr. Etheridge directed the clearing of sites 9Co45 and 9Co46, without which our archeological efforts would have been severely restricted. Mr. Etheridge's site clearing was exemplary, and provided an ideal working environment while maintaining the integrity of archeological resources on these sites. To all of these staff members of the Mobile Corps we would like to extend our appreciation and thanks. In addition to these individuals, a number of other archeologists took time out from their busy schedules to provide counsel on various aspects of the project. We would like to thank in this regard, Dr. David Anderson of the Southeast Regional Office nf the Park Service in Atlanta, Drs. David Hally and Mark Williams of the University of Georgia, and Mr. Chip Morgan of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The perspective these individuals provided on the ceramic sequence of the Allatoona Lake region and sundry other regions in the Southeast was invaluable. The principal investigator also owes a most heartfelt debt of gratitude to the field crew who included Scott Ashcraft, Marshal Brewer, Bill Duckworth, Janet Maione, and David Marsh. Julie Cantley's and Tracey Fedor's diligence and expertise in preparing the graphic illustrations for the report are gratefully appreciated. Mr. Richard Bryant produced the excellent artifact photographs for the report, and his efforts are greatly acknowledged and appreciated. Editorial review was provided by J. W. Joseph. A sincere note of gratitude is extended to Jack Raymer, who consented to actually write about the perplexing geology of the area. Any errors or misrepresentations contained in the body of this report remain the responsibility of the principal report authors. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii LIST OF FIGURES vii LIST OF TABLES ix I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1 THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 3 Geology