HomeMy WebLinkAbout20211528 Ver 2_No Archaeoloigcal Survey Required PA 18-12-0029_20230209Project Tracking No.:
18-12-0029
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NO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED FORMJ3
This form only pertains to ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES for this project. It is not `
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Historic Architecture and Landscapes Group.
PROJECT INFORMATION
Project No: Bridge 166
WBS No: 17BP.13.R.161
F.A. No: na
Federal Permit Required?
Project Description:
County: Madison
Document: Minimum Criteria
Funding: ® State ❑ Federal
® Yes ❑ No Permit Type: USACE
The project calls for the replacement of Bridge No. 166 on SR 1533 (Hamburg Road) over Terry Fork in
Madison County. The archaeological Area of Potential Effects (APE) for the project is defined as an
approximately 930 foot (283.46 m) long corridor running 490 feet (149.35 m) east and 440 feet
(134.11 m) west from the center of the bridge. The corridor is roughly 300 feet (91.44 m) wide extending
150 feet (45.72 m) from either side of the centerline.
SUMMARY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES REVIEW
Brief description of review activities, results of review, and conclusions:
The proposed Bridge 166 replacement project is located east of Mars Hill in Madison County, North
Carolina. The project area is plotted near the center of the Barnardsville USGS 7.5' topographic
quadrangle (Figure 1).
A site file search was conducted by Casey Kirby at the Office of State Archaeology (OSA) on January 2,
2019. No previously recorded archaeological sites were identified within the APE and only two sites
(3IMD363 and 31MD365) are found within a mile of bridge. According to the North Carolina State
Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) online data base (HPOWEB 2019), there are no known historic
architectural resources within the APE that may yield intact archaeological deposits. Topographic maps,
USDA soil survey maps, aerial photographs (NC One Map), historic maps (North Carolina maps
website), and Google Street View application were further examined for information on environmental
and cultural variables that may have contributed to prehistoric or historic settlement within the project
limits and to assess the level of ground disturbance.
Bridge 166 and Hamburg Road run east to west along the Terry Fork drainageway (Figure 2). The
project area is situated mostly along hillside slopes with a narrow floodplain adjacent to the creek. The
floodplain widens towards the southeast. Terry Fork drains west into Paint Fork and is part of the French
Broad drainage basin. The area is rural with residential homes, forest, and agricultural properties within
the project limits. The house sites have been cut into hillsides and are located north of the road. A
pasture is in the floodplain to the southeast. It is low lying and appear saturated with water from images
provided by Google Street View. The hillsides seem undisturbed and covered in forest. However, they
are steeply sloped and possible eroded.
The USDA soil survey map for the county identifies four soil types within the project area (USDA NRCS
2019) (see Figure 2). The French loam (FrA) occupies the floodplain. This is a somewhat poorly drained
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEYREQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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soil type with a slope of less than 3 percent. It is subject to occasionally flooding. Due to persistent
wetness, this series is unlikely to yield significant evidence of early settlement activities. The hillsides
are made up of the Buladean-Chestnut complex (BnE; BnF), the Evard-Cowee complex (EvD2), and Tate
loam (TaC). These are all well drained soils with slope generally over 15 percent except on the Tate
series. The Evard-Cowee complex is also described as moderately eroded. Slope of 15 percent or more
is not usually tested, since intact archaeological resources are unexpected. The Tate series, however,
covers a small area to the northwest adjacent to the floodplain at the foot of the hillside. Although
moderately sloped at 8 to 15 percent, erosion appear to be the strong in this location according to aerial
and Street View images. It also encompasses only a small portion of the APE. Due to disturbance and its
limited extent, no significant cultural material is likely present in this area.
The absence of known archaeological sites in this region is due to a lack of archaeological investigations.
The two known sites (3IMD363 and 31MD365) were recorded by amateur archaeologist, who was
surface collected along Paint Fork. Although more work is needed in the regions to better understand
settlement distribution, the current project setting will no provide any useful information.
A map review also failed to provide any significant historical information. Most early maps prior to the
20th century show few details concerning the project area. The 1902 USGS Mount Mitchell topographic
map is one of the first to display a reliable location for the project (Figure 3). This map depicts a road
similar to Hamburg Road with a crossing at or near the current bridge site. Two structures are also
shown, one to the north and the other to the southwest. Both appear to be outside of the project limits.
The later 1936 Soil Map for Madison County provides a clearer picture (Hearn et al. 1936) (Figure 4). It
illustrates the same road layout with all historic structures well away from the crossing. Although historic
resources might be encountered, they should be 20th century in nature and will not provide any new or
important information.
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 proposed Bridge 166 replacement project in Madison County is not likely to impact any significant
archaeological resources. This is due steep hillside slopes and persistently wet soils, which contribute to
a low probability for archaeological sites. No further archaeological work is recommended for this
project. But if design plans change to affect subsurface areas beyond the defined APE, further
archaeological consultation might be necessary.
SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION
See attached: ® Map(s) ❑ Previous Survey Info ❑ Photos ❑Correspondence
❑ Photocopy of County Survey Notes Other:
FINDING BY NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST
NO AR CHAEOLOG Y SUR VEY REO UIRED
C. Damon Jones
NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST
1/3/19
Date
"No ARCHAEOLOGYSURVEYREQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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REFERENCES CITED
Hearn, Edward, Eugene Goldston, William Davis, C. Croom, and Samuel Davidson
1936 Soil Map for Madison County, North Carolina. U.S. Department of Argiculture,
Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. On file at North Carolina Collections,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
HPOWEB
2018 North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office GIS Web Service.
http:HgisNCDCR.gov/hpoweb/. Accessed January 2, 2019.
United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services (USDA NRCS)
2018 Madison County Soil Survey. Available online at
http://webosilsurvey.nres.usda.gov/app/. Accessed January 2, 2019.
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
1902 Mount Mitchell, North Carolina -Tennessee 30 minute quadrangle map. Reprinted in
1932.
2013 Barnardsville, North Carolina 7.5 minute quadrangle map.
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- . ��r ;• � � . � ;`� �: � Paint Fbrk •' JIr��. �� -.. liJf ��
f One Mile Radius (Shaded)
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Figure 1. Topographic Setting of the Project Area, Barnardsville (2013), NC USGS T5 Topographic
Quadrangle.
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED "form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Figure 2. Aerial photograph of the APE showing development, contours, and soils.
`No ARCHAEOLOGYSURVEYREQUIRED"form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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Figure 3. The 1902 USGS Mount Mitchell topographic map showing the location of the project area.
Figure 4. The 1936 Soil Map for Madison County showing the location of the project area.
"No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEYREQUIRED"form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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