Phase Ia Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey of Proposed Sight Distance Improvement on US 31 at Euclid Avenue, 1.4 Miles South of the Marion/Johnson County Line in Johnson County, Indiana

Abstract

At the request of Indiana Department of Transportation, the Office of Cultural Resource Management at the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University (GBL-OCRM) conducted a Phase Ia archaeological survey of proposed sight distance improvement on US 31 at Euclid Avenue, 1.4 miles south of the Marion/Johnson County line in Johnson County. The project area surveyed is located in Greenwood, Indiana. A right-of-way allowance of 70-75 feet (23-24 m) was applied to the east side of the centerline of the highway. Due to disturbance associated with urban development, the entire project area, approximately 0.9 acres, was subjected to an overview. The purposes of survey were 1) to identify and document all 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 on January 13, 2003 by GBL archaeologists Johnie Sanders and Michael Darland. One hundred percent of the project area has been subjected to development and is disturbed. No intact soils were present within the proposed project corridor. The project area had been built up and graded in the past. No previously unrecorded archaeological sites were documented during the survey. It is the opinion of the GBL-OCRM that no further archaeological investigation is necessary. Cultural resource clearance is therefore recommended for the proposed sight distance improvement provided that all earth-moving activities are restricted to the currently delineated project area boundaries.