Phase Ia Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey of Proposed Improvements to the Intersection of Millersburg and Green River Roads in Vanderburgh County, Indiana

Abstract

From June 2-4, 2003, the Glenn A. Black Laboratory Office of Cultural Resource Management (GBL-OCRM), Indiana University, conducted a Phase Ia archaeological survey of the proposed improvements to the intersection of Millersburg and Green River Roads in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, under contract with the Vanderburgh County Engineering Department. The property surveyed is located northeast of Evansville, Indiana. A right-of-way allowance of 13-22 m was applied to either side of the centerlines of the two roads. A total of approximately 2.0 acres were surveyed, and approximately 0.6 acres were subject to overview (Figure 2). The purposes of survey were to: (1) identify and document all cultural resources in the project area; (2) evaluate any sites found with regard to their eligibility for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures (IRHSS); and, (3) make recommendations for the protection of significant and potentially significant sites. This survey was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act, as amended. Fieldwork was conducted from June 2-4, 2003, by GBL-OCRM archaeologists Johnie Sanders, Michael Darland, Stephanie Kazmierzak, and Valentin Milkov. More than 10 percent of the project area has been developed; in these areas, subsoil or fill dirt could be seen at the surface. One previously unrecorded archaeological site, 12VG534, was documented during the survey. Site 12VG534 represents an isolated prehistoric flake. Given the isolated nature of the site and lack of subsurface features, it is the opinion of the GBL-OCRM that the research potential of 12VG534 has been exhausted by the current level of investigation. Site 12VG534 is recommended ineligible for inclusion on the NRHP and the IRHSS. No further archaeological investigation is recommended. Cultural resource clearance is therefore recommended for the proposed added travel lanes, provided that all earth-moving activities are restricted to the currently delineated project area boundaries.