Archaeological Survey for Proposed Improvements on State Road 56 in French Lick north through West Baden to Prospect, Orange County, Indiana

Abstract

At the request of the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University (GBL) conducted a Phase Ia archaeological reconnaissance survey for proposed improvements to SR 56 from the intersection of SR 56/SR 145 in French Lick north through West Baden to Prospect in Orange County, Indiana. The areas of new right-of-way total approximately 10 acres. The purposes of survey were 1) to identify and document all of the cultural resources in the project area, 2) to evaluate the eligibility of any sites found for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures (IRHSS), and 3) to make recommendations for the protection of significant and potentially significant sites. Fieldwork was conducted from May 16, 2001 through May 18, 2001 by GBL archaeologists Melody Pope, Erin Kuns, George Mankowski, Dan Osborne, Sean Person, Ashley Gellman, Kris Suthers, and Jamie Aprile. One previously unrecorded archaeological site was recorded during survey of the proposed project area. The site is comprised of a single isolated flake fragment of indeterminate age and cultural affiliation and is unlikely to contribute information significant to understanding Indiana prehistory in the region. Cultural resource clearance is therefore recommended for the project area provided that all earth-moving activities are restricted to the currently defined project area boundaries. However, if earth-moving activities occur within 10 meters of Lost River, a Phase Ic subsurface reconnaissance survey is recommended to determine the presence or absence of subsurface deposits and their integrity.