Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Location for a Jeep Trail on the Eastern Perimeter of Crane NSWC, (JT 10A-12A), Martin County, Indiana

Abstract

At the request of the Department of the Navy, Crane Division Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) (NAVSEA), the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Office of Cultural Resource Management, Indiana University (GBL-OCRM) conducted a Phase Ia archaeological reconnaissance survey of the proposed location for a jeep trail on the eastern perimeter of the Crane NSWC, Martin County, Indiana. This corresponds to the eastern perimeter of the base as shown in Block 14 of the Crane general development maps and falls within the Boone Hollow area (Figures 1 and 2). Crane personnel prior to the beginning of fieldwork staked a right-of-way measuring approximately 12 feet by 1300 feet. The purposes of the survey were 1) to identify and document all of the cultural resources in the project area, 2) to 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) to make recommendations for the protection of significant and potentially significant sites. Fieldwork was conducted June 26, 2002 by GBL archaeologists Christopher R. Andres and Robert H. Adkins. The records check did not reveal any previously recorded archaeological sites in the vicinity and subsequent fieldwork did not produce any cultural resources in the project area. Based upon the results of Phase Ia archaeological reconnaissance-level survey, it is the opinion of the GBL that no further archaeological work is required for the project area. Cultural resource clearance is therefore recommended for the proposed road construction project, provided that all earth-moving activities are restricted to the currently defined project area boundaries.