The Gregg Shoals and Clyde Gulley Sites: Archaeological and Geological Investigations at Two Piedmont Sites on the Savannah River

Summary

Archaeological and geological investigations at two sites along the upper Savannah River, Elbert County, Georgia, were presented. Large block excavations were undertaken at the Gregg Shoals site (9EB259) and the Clyde Gulley Site (9EB387), which resulted in documenting an occupation sequence spanning 10,000 years, from Early Archaic to Late Prehistoric. Further work identified activity areas within the Middle and Early Archaic zones. Research questions focused on assemblage characterization, raw material changes through time, and interassemblage variation. Precision backhoe testing of the Clyde Gulley floodplain resulted in the identification of six archeological components, ranging from Early Archaic to Mississippian. Block excavations were conducted in the Early Archaic, a small, intact Palmer component, and the Mississippian midden components. The Mississippian midden area contained an Etowah II and III ceramic assemblage and a lithic assemblage composed mainly of small triangular points and blades. Several post holes and small pits were identified, possibly associated with a small structure. The archeological and geological investigations at the Gregg Shoals and Clyde Gulley sites have documented several significant cultural components and generated a preliminary model of the depositional processes in this section of the floodplain of the Savannah River. Cultural components representing at least 10,000 years were found to be stratified vertically at Gregg Shoals and horizontally at Clyde Gulley.

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): US Army Corps of Engineers Mandatory Center of Expertise for the Curation and Management of Archaeological Collections, St. Louis District

Contributor(s): Sam B. Upchurch; Barbara Ruff; Cynthia A. Aulbach-Smith; Scott Madry

Principal Investigator(s): William H. Marquardt

Landowner(s): US Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District

Sponsor(s): US Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District

Prepared By(s): South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology

Submitted To(s): US Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District; Archaeological Services Branch, National Park Service, Southeast Region

Record Identifiers

UGA Laboratory of Archaeology Report No.(s): 695

Contract No.(s): CX5000-0-4050

Notes

General Note: The digital materials in this collection were processed by the Veterans Curation Program (VCP), and include archival photographs, finding aid, original investigation report, oversized material database, photographic material spreadsheet, and scanned asset key. Additional digital materials held by the VCP include the archives database, correspondence, document folder listing, initial data collection, interim report, maps, memorandums, monthly reports, notes, oversized labels, photographic material labels, photographic slide labels, proposals, records removal sheet, a safety plan, scope of work, and a transmittal form. For additional information on these materials, refer to the finding aid.

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