Phase Ia Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey of Proposed Sight Distance Improvements on US 250 Jefferson County, Indiana
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Date
2004-03
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Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University
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Abstract
In October 2003, the Glenn A. Black Laboratory Office of Cultural Resource Management (GBL-OCRM), Indiana University, conducted a Phase Ia archaeological survey of the proposed sight distance improvements on US 250 in Jefferson County, Indiana (Project STP-5639 [ ] CN, Des. No. 9902760), under contract with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The proposed right-of-way (ROW) is comprised of approximately 5,546 m² (0.6 hectares) and is located in Jefferson County, Shelby Township, Sections 17 and 20 (Figure 1). Background research and field survey were conducted to: (1) identify and document all cultural resources in the project area; (2) provide an evaluation of National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures (IRHSS) eligibility for all identified cultural resources within the project corridor; and (3) provide recommendations for mitigation if avoidance of NRHP- or IRHSS-eligible sites is not possible. This survey was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), as amended. Visual surface inspection and shovel testing were conducted within the project boundaries. Shovel tests were excavated on a 10 m x 10 m grid within the proposed new ROW. A total of 4,699 m2 (0.52 hectares) were subjected to subsurface survey and approximately 847 m2 (0.08 hectares) were subjected to visual survey (plowed field). Fieldwork was conducted on 22-23 October 2003 by GBL archaeologists Bryan Will, Eldridge Doubleday, Bob Adkins, and Michael Darland. No previously recorded sites are located within the proposed ROW, and one new archaeological site (12JE523) was recorded during the October investigations. Site 12JE523 is a light prehistoric/historic (isolated whiteware fragment) surface lithic scatter of unknown cultural affiliation. Cursory examination of the plowed field in which 12JE532 was discovered suggests that the site continues beyond the proposed ROW. Minimal subsurface examination of the site revealed the absence of buried alluvial deposits. The lack of additional cultural material collected from adjacent ROWs may be attributed to the fact that the north half of the project area marks the northern descent of the regional plateau into the outlying lowland regions. This sloping landform combined with intense agricultural practices through the years have created deflated shallow soils resulting in an archaeologically low probability area. Due to the undiagnostic nature and paucity of artifacts recovered within the proposed ROW combined with the lack of buried alluvial deposits, it is the opinion of the GBL-OCRM that the portion of site 12JE523 located within the proposed ROW is not eligible for the NRHP or the IRHSS. Further archaeological investigation is not necessary, and archaeological clearance is therefore recommended. However, if artifacts, cultural features, and/or remains that might prove to be human are discovered during earth-moving activities, the State Historic Preservation Officer at the Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA), Indiana Department of Natural Resources, should be contacted immediately.
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Abstracts are made available for research purposes. To view the full report, please contact the staff of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology (www.gbl.indiana.edu)
Keywords
archaeological report
Citation
Will, Bryan, and Melody Pope. 2004. "Phase Ia Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey of Proposed Sight Distance Improvements on US 250 Jefferson County, Indiana," Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology Report of Investigation 03-16
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Digital reproductions of reports from the Glenn A. Black Laboratory are made available for noncommercial, educational, and research purposes only. Copyright is reserved for the Trustees of Indiana University.
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Technical Report