An Archaeological Reconnaissance of Projects RS-8315 (RRS-988(1) and RS-988(2)), Dearborn County, Indiana

Abstract

An archaeological reconnaissance of the Railroad and Tanners Creek Bridges, RRS-988(1 ) and RS 98b(2) was undertaken by the authors on May 24, 1977 in order to determine the potential impact of the project construction on prehistoric cultural resources. The reconnaissance was accomplished at the request of Associated Engineering Consultants, Inc. in order to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, Executive Order 11593 and Public Law 93-291. The area of proposed construction lies approximately 1.3 miles southeast of the town of Guilford, Indiana and is situated in the floodplain of Tanners Creek along Dearborn County Road 149. The proposed construction includes a new bridge over Tanners Creek, a new bridge over the Penn Central Railway, widening of the County Road 149 between the bridges and construction of new approaches northeast of the Penn Central bridge and south west of the Tanners Creek Bridge. The project area is situated within the physiographic zone known as the Dearborn Uplands, and though prehistoric archaeological sites have been recorded from similar topographic situations within the Dearborn Uplands, a review of the Indiana University Archaeological Survey Files revealed that no sites are recorded within the construction areas. Under excellent visual reconnaissance conditions two prehistoric sites, one with a late historic occupation, were located. Neither site exhibited quantities or concentrations of debris or indications that contextually undisturbed cultural materials remain below the depth of present cultivation. Additionally, both sites have been partly altered by the present roadway. It is therefore recommended that neither site is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and that project construction can proceed without adverse effect on cultural resources. However, in the unlikely event that archaeological materials are observed during construction, the Glenn A. Black Laboratory should be notified.