20200258 Ver 1_B4844 No Archaeological Survey Required Form_20200218

Project Tracking No.:
15-03-0058
NO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED FORM
a. This form only pertains to ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES for this project. It is not
� o � valid for Historic Architecture and Landscapes. You must consult separately with the
� Historic Architecture and Landscapes Group. � d
PROJECT INFORMATION
Project No: B-4844, Br. No. 0117 County: Duplin and Wayne
WBS No: 38614.1.FD2 Document: P C E
F.A. No: BRZ-1958(5) Funding: ❑ State ® Federal
Federal Permit Required? ® Yes ❑ No Permit Type: nw3 or nw14
Project Description: NCDOT proposes to replace Bridge No. 117 on SR 1502/1958 (Bennetts Bridge
Road) over Northeast Cape Fear River at the boundary of Wayne and Duplin Counties. This is a federally
funded project and also will require a USACE permit. Therefore, this is a federal undertaking and Section
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act applies for archaeological review.
The NCDOT Project Development engineer provided useful information regarding the project, including
functional design. The existing bridge will be replaced in place on the same alignment though it will be
longer and clear a higher elevation. Some additional regrading of the existing roadway is required, though
for a short distance along the existing SR 1958/1502 roadway in either direction, with slightly more towards
the south. Based on this information, the archaeological Area of Potential Effects (APE) can be described
as about 1000 ft in length and less than 100 feet in total width which should allow for any necessary fill
and cut lines or required easements.
The majority of the APE has already been modified by the construction of the existing roadway and bridge.
The project area generally wooded with swampy vegetation, trees with agricultural lands in the general
vicinity, outside of the APE.
SUMMARY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES REVIEW
Brief description of review activities, results of review, and conclusions:
USGS mapping (Williams) and aerial photography was studied (see Figures 1 and 2). The surrounding
topography is relatively flat before lowering elevation to the creek bottom. At this point, the Northeast
Cape Fear River is medium sized with braided swampy areas in this portion of the two counties.
The soil present within the APE is listed for the two different counties. In Duplin County, Johnston and
Pamlico soils are present at the bridge (JpA, 0-1 percent slopes, frequently flooded and very poorly drained).
Rising along the road to the south, the soil survey describes Marvyn and Gritney soils (McC, 6-15 percent
slopes, well drained). In the other county, Wayne, north of the bridge the soil type is Johnston loam (Js,
very poorly drained, frequently flooded, mucky soil). The soil types nearest to the bridge are expectedly
low and wet, swampy and generally undiserable for many activities that would establish readily identifiable
archaeological sites. The sloped approach in the southern APE represents the margins of the elevated and
level landforms nearby and above where Native American activities might be concentrated and certain types
of historic sites may be present, though the unlevel ground is generally less desirable if other options are
available. While the sloped McC terrain could produce archaeological sites, they are most likely at the
boundary with higher, level soils. In all cases for this type of project with a small construction footprint
over an existing transportation facility, the soil that would be affected is generally already disturbed in
modern times and has greatly reduced chances of producing intact, significant archaeological sites.
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SUR VEY REQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Project Tracking No.:
15-03-0058
Virtual drive -by was available using Bing and Google maps. The examination confirmed that the bridge
location is low laying and wet - a large pipe crosses under the roadway for drainage some distance north of
Bridge No. 0117 and has standing water.
Cemeteries are noted at several locations on the USGS mapping in the general project vicinity. One that is
interestingly not on the USGS mapping is about 700-800 feet away and outside of the APE. This is the
George Bennett Cemetery, an active, maintained cemetery with the first obvious stone placed in 1904. On
higher, level ground to the southeast, the cemetery is about 100 ft away from the roadway and will not be
affected by the project. It is likely associated with the namesake of the project road and bridge ("Bennets
Bridges Road). Construction and staging should avoid the cemetery location. GIS-based cemetery data
maintained by NCDOT archaeologist, Paul J. Mohler, also notes these nearby cemeteries. There is no
indication of a cemetery at the crossing and project APE. No cemeteries are expected be impacted by the
currently proposed undertaking.
The Office of State Archaeology was visited in April, 2015 to review archaeological mapping and to
reference any known archaeological surveys and sites. This helps establish an archaeological context for
comparison. While there are several small environmental reviews relatively nearby the project, one large
review resulted in an archaeological survey and sites were identified. A Report of an Archaeological
Reconnaissance at the Site of the Proposed Carroll's F000ds Turkey Processing Plant (ER 85-7692, Bib #
3780) describes the coverage and methodology for surveying 700 acres just to the southwest of the current
bridge replacement project APE. Three archaeological sites were identified, the historic period 31Dp211 **,
31Dp212** and the Native American 31Dp213. The three sites were not identified as being eligible for
listing on the National Register of Historic Places, however the descriptions suggest this to be the case with
late historic domestic scatter and a small number of Native American ceramics in a likely poor soil context
(Green, Paul R. 1985 [Bib # 3780]). No other notable surveys or archaeological sites were noted during
the research at OSA.
For this undertaking, the proposed bridge replacement of the existing transportation facility, Bridge No.
0117, the project footprint is limited. The majority of the existing APE has been modified for the current
roadway and bridge. The surrounding soil is low and stays wet, generally an undesirable feature for human
activity, or slopes upward towards level ground outside of the APE. A nearby archaeological survey
identified three sites though only on higher, level ground. They probably are not considered eligible for
listing on the National Register of Historic Places. A twentieth century cemetery is present southeast of the
APE though it should not be affected by the project. The small size, disturbances and soil types present
within the APE suggest low expectations for encountering newly discovered archaeological sites, especially
any that may be intact and significant. The project should be considered compliant with Section 106. No
archaeological survey is recommended for this undertaking as currently proposed.
Brief Explanation of why the available information provides a reliable basis for reasonably predicting
that there are no unidentified historic properties in the APE:
The scale and nature of the project is limited to replacement of an existing bridge with a new structure at
the same location. The small footprint of construction through previously disturbed and otherwise poor
topographic setting for habitation are all contributing factors in the recommendation for no archaeological
survey. This federally permitted undertaking should be considered compliant with Section 106.
SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION
See attached: ® Map(s) ❑ Previous Survey Info ❑ Photos ❑Correspondence
❑ Photocopy of County Survey Notes Other:
FINDING BY NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SUR VEY REQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Project Tracking No.:
15-03-0058
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Figure 1. Vicinity of B-4844, the proposed replacement of Bridge No. 0117 along SR 1502/1958 (Bennetts Bridges Road)
over the Northeast Cape Fear River in Duplin and Wayne County shown on an excerpt of USGS mapping (Williams). The
APE is circled and shown in yellow.
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED " form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Project Tracking No.:
15-03-0058
Figure 2. Aerial map of TIP # B-4844, PA 15-03-0058, Br. No. 0117 replacement. The APE is shown in yellow. An arrow
points to the George Bennett Cemetery, outside of the project APE.
"No ARCIIAEOLOGYSURVEYREQUIRED " form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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