This page serves as a means of dissiminating information to those conducting archaeological research in Kentucky. Recent phase II and phase III archaeological reports conducted on sites in Kentucky are listed here. In addition, we would like to add theses, dissertations, and other research that pertains to archaeology in Kentucky. Please forward such information to blmanzano@uky.edu. Include the Title, Author(s), Date and a Brief Abstract of the research.

Title: Management Summary of Phase III Archaeological Investigations of Sites 15JF594, 15JF596, 15JF597, 15JF598 and 15JF599, Located in the River Park Place Waterfront Development Project Louisville, KY

Authors: Duane Simpson
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: September 2008
Brief Abstract: This document lays out preliminary findings for investigations conducted in conjunction with the River Park Place development. The project area is located east of downtown Louisville, between River Road and the Ohio River. The archaeological areas of concern include five archaeological sites (15JF594, 15JF596, 15JF597, 15JF598, 15JF599) considered eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) (Figure 1). The sites encompass entire city blocks or specific house lots found within the Upper Point neighborhood. Two previous archaeological studies have been conducted over the entire development site (Essary 1992 and McKelway 1995). The latest of the studies was a Phase II level evaluation to determine if the resources were eligible for listing to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This was conducted in 1994 (McKelway 1995). Within the study area, this investigation found three of the eight former city blocks in the neighborhood known once as the Upper Point (Blocks 1, 2, and 7) to contain significant archaeological deposits that were eligible for listing to the NRHP. These sites, as defined from the previous research completed at the site (McKelway 1995), encompass various historic period house lots and commercial ventures, as well as prehistoric occupations, dating from approximately the Late Archaic to the Early Woodland Periods. In addition to the archaeological resources, there are two structures that have been placed on the NRHP, namely, the Paget House and the Heigold House façade. Both structures lie, or were once contained, within Block 2. The Heigold façade was moved from the project area in 2007, and currently sits across River Road from the River Park Place development. The Paget House is a two-story “L”-shaped brick structure dating to the early 1800s. This house will be preserved in place within Block 2 and included in the residential development plan. Given the desire to maintain the Paget House, archaeological investigations were completed up to the fence that currently surrounds the house location and not within this boundary.

The 2007 MOA and the 2005 data recovery plan proposed varying levels of effort for archaeological mitigation of Blocks 1, 2, and 7 at the River Park Place development. The proposed levels of effort for each of the blocks are summarized below in Table 1. The table provides a listing of historic components, location, site types, age, and suggested sample size to mitigate the adverse impacts on the significant archaeological resources.

Fieldwork began on February 21, 2007 with stripping along the eastern quarter of Block 1. Stripping began in this location in order to create a sump for the establishment of a waterscreening facility. Approximately, 95 percent of all artifacts collected from the project were cleaned using this water screening system. Major excavations began on February 26, with the investigation of the eastern half of Block 2. The historic units were placed in these areas, with stripping occurring contemporaneously along the southern side of Block 2. As excavation units and mapping was completed in the eastern half of Block 2, stripping began on the remaining eastern half of the block. Unit excavations were then moved farther east in Block 2, focusing on the French Gardens/Schachner and Paget properties. Stripping continued in Block 2, but test unit investigations outpaced stripping activities, so a portion of the crew was moved out of Block 2.

The focus of fieldwork shifted to Block 7 on March 24, 2007, with exploratory trenching being completed across three different house lots. Excavations of test units began on March 27, with feature investigations beginning on April 2. Feature excavation and investigations slated for Block 7 were completed on April 5. A portion of the crew was moved following the Block 7 investigations to Block 1 to begin test unit excavations on April 6, with the remaining crew continuing to investigate prehistoric features uncovered through stripping in Block 2. After completing seven test units in Block 1 fieldwork was put on hiatus until stripping could be completed across the entire breadth of Block 2. Based on the results obtained in Block 7 a few additional test units were placed in Block 2 prior to stripping the western half of the block. The majority of stripping was completed within Block 2 by May 17, with only two small areas containing burials left to be exposed. Focus shifted to excavating units and completing stripping within the western half of Block 1 on May 18. Although the majority of stripping was completed in Block 2 by the 17th, burial and feature excavation continued until June 1. The remaining balked areas within Block 2 were stripped on June 2, effectively completing investigations within this section of the site. Completion of feature excavation and mapping related to the historic pottery in the western half of Block 1 was finalized on June 4. Final mapping and backfilling was completed on June 5, 2007, completing all fieldwork aspects of the project.

Title: A Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Bluegrass Motorsport Club and Road Course Development, Gallatin County, Kentucky

Authors: Matthew E. Prybylski
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: September 2008
Brief Abstract: On August 11th and 12th, 2008, AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. archaeology personnel conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of 516 acres for the proposed Bluegrass Motorsport Club and Road Course project in Gallatin County, Kentucky. The project area is bound on the north and south by dissected uplands, by Interstate-71 to the east, and Kentucky 127 which follows Big Sugar Creek on the west.  Currently the property contains moderately heavy woods, open grasslands, and creek bottoms. This survey was conducted at the request of Bluegrass Motorsport Club in order to assess the potential impact on cultural resources by the proposed construction. The Phase I archaeological investigation described in this report included surface collection in plow stripped fields, shove test probe excavation, and visual inspection of the ground surface, creek banks, and drainages for evidence of cultural material or areas that may have been utilized by prehistoric or historic groups.

A total of two previously undocumented archaeological sites (15GA90 and 15GA91) and seven isolated finds were recorded during the survey. Sites 15GA90 and 15GA91 are both historic assemblages that date from the late nineteenth to the mid twentieth centuries. All of the artifacts recovered were located within extremely disturbed soils along the ridge tops of dissected uplands. Due to the lack of archaeological integrity and large degree of disturbance, sites 15GA90 and 15GA91 are not believed to be eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

Isolated Find 1 through 7 included both prehistoric and historic artifacts, including a Cypress Stemmed biface and undecorated ironstone. Based on the extremely low density of artifacts recovered from Isolated Find 1 through 7, these loci do not meet the minimum standards for eligibility for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. No further work or archaeological investigations are recommended for these isolated finds or on sites.

Title: A Phase I Archaeological Survey of 100 acres for the Proposed Scherm Ditch and Detention Basin Project, Owensboro, Daviess County, Kentucky

Authors: Matthew E. Prybylski and Melissa Gorham
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: August 2008
Brief Abstract: On June 23rd through July 2nd, 2008, AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. archaeology personnel conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of 100 acres for the proposed Scherm Ditch and Detention Basin project in the city of Owensboro, Daviess County, Kentucky. The project area is bordered on the south by Scherm Road, on the west by Barron Drive, on the north by residential homes facing Middleground Drive, and on the east by Chippewa Drive. Currently the majority of the property consists of agricultural fields, although a large grove of trees and several drainage ditches are also present on the parcel.

This survey was conducted at the request of Johnson, Depp, and Quisenberry, Inc. as an agent for the City of Owensboro in order to assess the potential impact on cultural resources by the proposed development. The Phase I archaeological investigation described in this report included intensive shovel probing at 20 meter intervals, and visual inspection of the ground surface and drainages for evidence of cultural material or areas that may have been utilized by prehistoric or historic groups.

A total of two previously undocumented archaeological sites (15DA248 and 15DA249) were recorded during the survey. Sites 15DA248 and 15DA249 are both predominately historic assemblages with 15DA248 having only a small prehistoric component. All of the artifacts recovered from these sites were located within the plowzone of open agricultural fields. Due to the lack of archaeological integrity and various degrees of disturbance, sites 15DA248 and 15DA249 are not considered eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and no further archaeological investigations are recommended.

Title: An Additional Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed US 25 Improvements in Scott County, Kentucky

Authors: David W. Schatz
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: August 2008
Brief Abstract: On March 17, 2008 AMEC Earth & Environmental staff archaeologists conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of an additional parcel for proposed improvements to US 25 in Scott County, Kentucky. This survey was conducted at the request of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The goal of the survey was to identify archaeological resources that would be potentially impacted by the disturbances generated from proposed road construction improvements to US 25, and evaluate their potential eligibility for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The survey area consisted of approximately 2.7 acres or 1.09 hectares. The survey consisted of background research, visual inspection, and subsurface testing of the project area, analysis of the materials recovered, and a report of findings.

Part of the survey area was included within the boundary of site 15SC183 on the east side of Cane Run Creek. One of the excavated shovel tests in this area produced a single piece of prehistoric debitage. This find would normally be classified as an isolated find, but due to its location within the existing site boundary it was considered part of site 15SC183. Sections of site 15SC183 are currently being mitigated due to the proposed improvements to US 25. Previous investigations within the vicinity of the positive shovel test have shown that this area was on the periphery of the important sections of the site. Given the fragmented nature of this area of the site, no further work is recommended within the current survey area.

Title: A Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Relocation of Three Gas Mains Across Otter Creek, Meade County, Kentucky

Authors: Chad A. Knopf
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: June 2008
Brief Abstract: On June 9, 2008, AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. archaeology personnel conducted a Phase I archaeological survey for the proposed relocation of three gas mains across Otter Creek, located north of KY 1638 and west of the town of Muldraugh in Meade County, Kentucky. This survey was conducted at the request of Louisville Gas & Electric in order to assess the potential impacts on cultural resources by the proposed construction and to ensure compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and other Federal and state cultural resources management regulations. The survey area for the proposed gas main relocation is an elongated rectangular polygon approximately 427 feet or 130 meters in length and 131 feet or 40 meters in width. The survey area covered approximately 1.3 acres or 0.53 hectares.

No archaeological sites were identified during this survey and it is recommended that the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office grant archaeological clearance for the proposed construction within the survey area described in this report.

Title: Phase II and Phase III Archaeological and Archival Investigation of the English Park Tramway Site (15DA244) and the English Park Site (15DA245) City of Owensboro, Daviess County, Kentucky

Authors: Wayna L. Roach
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: June 2008
Brief Abstract: Between October 23 and December 5, 2006, AMEC Earth & Environmental archaeologists conducted Phase II excavations at the English Park Site (15DA245) in Owensboro, Daviess County, Kentucky. Ninety-nine features were identified and investigated through a combination of test unit excavation and monitored mechanical stripping. A total of 33 test units were excavated and approximately 1300 square meters were stripped exposing 99 historic features. As a result of the Phase II, the English Park Site (15DA245) was determined eligible for the National Register.  As mitigation, both the English Park Tramway and the English Park Site (15DA244) were recommended for Phase III investigation to be accomplished through archival research.

The English Park Tramway and the English Park Site represent the archaeological remains of the John Hanning Distillery. During the 1860s and 1870s, primary land use in the area transitioned from residential to commercial.  The earliest development at the English Park Site occurred around 1879 when the Hill & Perkins Distillery constructed two warehouses along the south side of the site.  By 1890, domestic structures to house distillery workers were present at the English Park Site.  The English Park Tramway was in place by 1894 and facilitated transport of materials and product from the river to the distillery. 

Excavations at the English Park Tramway and the English Park Site provided information on both commercial distillery operations in Owensboro as well as lifeways of the distillery workers. Men and women, young and old appear to have occupied the site and they conducted their daily activities in close proximity to their homes. In their free time, they may have hunted and probably fished in the river, though only mussel shell attests to traffic between the river and the site. They ate from plain dishes and wore plain clothes, though the children may have attended school, based on the slate pencils at the site.  They were probably a mix of ethnicities, with both local and foreign points of origin.

The Hanning Distillery slowed production by 1900, though improvements were still being made, such as the Dry House that was added as a way to eliminate cattle from the premises.  Now owned by the National Distillers and Warehouse Company, the site reflected the national trend toward large conglomerates that modeled their business practices after the oil monopolies of the time.  Production continued to drop at the Hanning Distillery and the dry house and the domestic structures are all gone by 1910; one structure remains as an Oil House.  The facilities ceased operation with the passage of Prohibition and sold to the Army Corps of Engineers for development as a lock and dam by 1923. Beginning with the Army Corps, the area of the English Park Site was maintained primarily as a grassy yard for the next 70 years until slated for development today as a boat dock and parking facility by the city of Owensboro.

Title: Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed CSXT Grade Separation Crossing Oldham County, Kentucky

Authors: John A. Hunter, MA, RPA
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: May 2008
Brief Abstract: On 7 through 9 April 2008, AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. archaeology personnel conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed CSXT Grade Separation Crossing west of La Grange in Oldham County, Kentucky (Item No. 5-434.00). This survey was conducted at the request of the DLZ Kentucky Inc. in order to assess the potential impact on cultural resources by the proposed construction. The project area is bounded by KY 146 on the north, Commerce Parkway on the south, and is roughly bisected by Allen Road. The survey area for the proposed construction is approximately 1.3 kilometers (4,265 ft) in length and 152 meters (500 ft) wide on either side of the proposed alignment. The survey area covered approximately 180 acres (73 hectares) and resulted in the discovery of three (3) isolated finds.  Isolated Find 1 consisted of a single piece of historic ceramic.  Isolated Find 2 consisted of one prehistoric Laurel chert utilized flake.  Isolated Find 3 consisted of one Laurel chert flake. No archaeological sites were identified. 

No further archaeological work is recommended within the right-of-way since no archaeological sites were identified.  It is recommended that the Kentucky Heritage Council/ State Historic Preservation Office (KHC/SHPO) grant archaeological clearance so that the proposed area may be used. If during construction, any cultural materials are identified such as projectile points, stone tools and manufacturing debris, prehistoric petroglyphs, prehistoric or historic ceramics, or bones, then all construction should be terminated and KHC/SHPO should be immediately notified. State Law (KRS 72.010) requires that if human remains are found then the County Coroner and local law enforcement agents must be contacted immediately. The field notes, artifacts, and other material related to this project will be curated at the University of Kentucky Museum of Anthropology located in Lexington after submission of the final report.

Title: An Archaeological and Geomorphological Investigation of Proposed Impact Areas for the J.K. Smith Power Station Unit #1 Project, Clark County, Kentucky

Authors: John A. Hunter, MA, RPA and Wayna Roach, MA
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: April 2008
Brief Abstract: On March 3 through 7, 2008, AMEC Earth & Environmental archaeology personnel conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of thirteen proposed impact areas at the J.K. Smith Power Station in Clark County, Kentucky. As part of this evaluation, geomorphological investigations were also conducted on the J.K. Smith Power Plant property on March 12, 2008 in order to evaluate soil geomorphology at select locations along the Cotton Creek, Howard’s Creek, and Bull Run drainages.  East Kentucky Power Cooperative proposes to use these locations for borrow areas, beneficial reuse areas, and a reservoir. This work was conducted at the request of the East Kentucky Power Cooperative in order to assess the potential impact on cultural resources within the proposed impact areas.

Geomorphologic sampling was conducted at selected locations to determine the potential for the locations to contain “buried soils” or other features of historic significance.  Due to the presence of apparent buried A horizons in subsurface borings as well as the recovery of a chert flake in a boring, additional subsurface evaluation is recommended if the areas identified for further testing cannot be avoided. Additional evaluation should include professionally monitored stripping and/or trenching in the areas near the confluence of Cotton Creek and Howard’s Creek.

Eleven archaeological sites, 15CK163, 15CK230, 15CK527 (formerly the Unnamed Cemetery), 15CK528 (formerly the Tuttle Cemetery), 15CK529 (formerly CK-398), 15CK530 (formerly Ck-404), 15CK531 (formerly Structure 6), 15CK532 (formerly Structure 7), 15CK533 (formerly Structure 11, 15CK534 (formerly Structure 23), 15CK535 (formerly Structure 25), were reidentified and evaluated during this survey.  Two sites, the Adams Cemetery and Structure 9, could not be relocated.  Both the Adams Cemetery and Structure 9 may have been incorrectly mapped in the original surveys.  Though no evidence of the Adams Cemetery could be found, it is possible that graves could still be present in the general vicinity of the previously marked location. If the general area surrounding the Adams Cemetery cannot be avoided or tested with remote sensing, a professional archaeologist should be present to monitor the initial excavations of the area.  No evidence of Structure 9 could be found and no further testing in this location is recommended.

Of the eleven sites that could be relocated, six were determined not eligible for the National Register based on an absence of features, lack of deposits, or both.  These sites include Site 15CK163, a purported historic blacksmith shop said to have been associated with Stringtown, 15CK230, 15CK532, 15CK533, 15CK534 and 15CK535. 

The remaining five sites are being recommended for avoidance or additional testing. They are 15CK527, formerly the Unnamed Cemetery; 15CK128, the Tuttle Cemetery; 15CK529, a nineteenth-twentieth century residential site, 15CK530, a nineteenth century residential site with a minor prehistoric component; and 15CK531, a nineteenth-twentieth century residential site. If these sites cannot be avoided, additional testing is recommended to determine their National Register status.

Title: Exploring the Rosewell/Barber House Basement 15JF769, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Phase II Investigations of Two Cultural Features

Authors: Susan C. Andrews, MA
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: March 2008
Brief Abstract: On May 5, geotechnicians from AMEC Earth and Environmental were enlisted to make cuts into the concrete basement floor of the Rosewell/Barber House on Transylvania Avenue in Jefferson County just off River Road. The Rosewell/Barber House is a Greek Revival built in 1855, and attached to an older residence built in the 1820s. The house, recently purchased by the state was undergoing an architectural examination to determine if the house would be negatively impacted by the construction, concomitant vibrations, and blasting associated with the construction of the east end bridge across the Ohio River slated to occur just southwest of the property. Upon examination of the basement an unusual architectural feature was found that required further archaeological investigation. A vault or arch was found on a load-bearing wall in the basement. The arched wall was found to traverse a large subsurface pit feature thought to be a well, cellar, or possible cistern. The function and association of the feature was unknown, but the arched wall was failing and needed to be repaired. Before repairing the wall, archaeologists with Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the State Historic Preservation Office determined that the feature needed to be explored and documented as the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Upon investigation of the large subsurface feature, another feature was identified under the concrete floor of the basement and adjacent to the large subsurface pit feature. The feature was a brick channel composed of two brick walls constructed of a single course of brick. Consequently, both features; the brick channel and the subsurface pit were investigated by AMEC archaeologists to determine function, age, and integrity.

The investigation consisted of the excavation of three units within the brick channel and partial excavation of subfloor pit (Feature 1). Initially a unit was placed on the pit edge near the east end of the arched foundation wall that was in failure. Upon removal of the cement floor; it was found that the pit was large, had slightly sloping sidewalls and extended the full length of the arched wall. Unit 1 failed to reach the base of the pit, and the feature was bisected then quartered and excavated in natural layers to fully explore the contents, shape, and depth of the feature. Feature contents were bagged by provenience and taken to AMEC’s archaeology lab for cleaning and analysis. Units placed within the brick channel encountered few artifacts and these were also analyzed. 

Artifact analysis revealed the subfloor pit was filled with debris from all phases of reconstruction and remodeling that had occurred to the Rosewell/Barber House, with artifacts dating from the 1820s through the early twentieth century; when the concrete floor was poured in the basement sealing the deposits. The brick channel contained no chronologically sensitive artifacts, but its intrusion into the subfloor pit suggests that the channel was built after Feature 1 and certainly after the 1855 addition. Contents and stratigraphy of Feature 1 suggest that it functioned as an ice house or cool house for the original 1820s house and was later built over by the 1855 addition. The presence of artifacts and the relatively rapid final filling of the pit suggest that it continued to be used by the Barbers as a cellar or storage area and was later abandoned and filled prior to the pouring of the cement basement floor. As the site is already listed on the National Register of Historic Places it is recommended that any subsequent construction, remodeling, or alteration to the basement, outbuildings, and grounds that remain around the house undergo archaeological excavation. The excellent preservation of these unique features indicates a high potential for other significant features to exist.

Title: Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed Shoppes at Lone Oak, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky

Authors: Matthew Prybylski
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: February 2008
Brief Abstract: On January 24, 2008, AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. archaeology personnel, under the direction of Mr. Prybylski, conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed Shoppes at Lone Oak development in Jefferson County, Kentucky. This survey was conducted at the request of Icon Properties, Inc. in order to assess the potential impact on cultural resources by the proposed construction. The proposed development is located in the Okolona neighborhood of the City of Louisville, east of the inter-change between Interstate 65 and the Outer Loop.

The project area for the proposed Shoppes at Lone Oak development covered approximately 10 acres or 4 hectares. The majority of the project area was found to be previously disturbed by a defunct development that occurred during the 1960s. Moreover, drainage ditches and surface grading from the earlier development has resulted in the establishment of wetlands and consistent flooding over much of the property over the last few decades.

No archaeological sites or other cultural resources were identified within the project area. Because no archaeological sites were located within the survey area, no further archaeological investigations are required for the proposed Shoppes at Lone Oak development.

Title: Phase II Archaeological Testing of Site 15CL69, Carroll County, Kentucky

Authors: Nancy A. Ross-Stallings, Ph.D., RPA
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: January 2008
Brief Abstract: Between July 30 and August 10, 2007, AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. archaeology personnel conducted Phase II archaeological investigations of site 15CL69 in Carroll County, Kentucky (Item No. 6-8002.00). Site 15CL69 is a multicomponent prehistoric occupation with Middle and Late Archaic, plus Early Woodland occupations. There may be an ephemeral Early Archaic occupation, but the evidence is less convincing. The site is located in a 12 meter by 340 meter parcel slated for widening US 42. The site is adjacent to US 42 as it trends northeastward between Carrollton and Ghent, Kentucky. The site comprises .4 hectares (1 acre). The eastern 80 meters of the site was not examined during the fieldwork because of dense trees, and vegetation, and because of slope to the existing US 42 pavement, so a total of 3120 square meters was examined with Phase II Testing. The site most likely extended outside the existing project right of way (ROW) to the south and is truncated by existing US 42. The site was heavily impacted by construction plant facilities by land owners, Arvin Meritor and Dow Corning.

The Phase II investigation of site 15CL69 consisted of the hand excavation of a total of 12.6 square meters. A total of 242 square meters was scraped mechanically in 14 units in the most undisturbed areas. Because of vegetation, slope, underground utilities, disturbance, the immediate proximity of US 42, and construction of industrial plant parking lots and other facilities, approximately half of the site area could not be scraped. In Area A in the eastern portion of the site, Scrapes 6 and 10, adjacent to one another, revealed a cluster of three prehistoric basin features (Features 1, 3, and 4) that were found less than five meters away from a Lamoka point excavated in Unit 3. A Benton Cluster point was found in the plow zone of Unit 10. Scrapes 3 and 4 yielded modified Kirk-like and Early to Middle Archaic Large Side-Notched points, respectively. Units 8 and 9, and Scrapes 12-13 were placed in Area C in the western part of the site. One Matanzas point was found in each of the units and a Merom Cluster point was found in Scrape 12, located five meters from Unit 8. Feature 5, an oval pit, was found in Scrape 13, which also yielded a Karnak Unstemmed point. Units 8 and 9 yielded a total of 1298 of the recovered artifacts at the site. Unit 7, on the far west end of the site, yielded an additional Matanzas point. Scrape 7, on the southwest edge of the ROW, yielded a Motley point and a Brewerton Corner-Notched Cluster point. No diagnostics were found in features. Area B, in the center of the site, was essentially destroyed by prior construction activities.

A portion of the Phase II investigations was to determine if a lens of charcoal flecked soils found in Shovel Test B98 during the Phase I investigations (Stallings 2003:79) was indeed a prehistoric feature. Examination of this area in the west end of the site demonstrated that the area was two meters long and was positioned over a limestone drain built into the embankment of the highway.  Interviews with Patti Schrum, Dow Corning civil engineer, revealed that the soil and limestone drain was not installed by Dow Corning and that it probably predated the 1970 plant construction. Most likely, it was created when the area was an agricultural field, and may have been a drain for a low portion.

A total of 3,395 artifacts were recovered during the Phase II excavations, 3,200 prehistoric and195 historic. The prehistoric artifacts consist primarily of debitage, stone tools, and fire cracked rock, but in low numbers for such a large site. None of the FCR was found in situ and any cooking features have been destroyed.

Site 15CL69 is a heavily disturbed site with a low number of features, no midden, and has been deep plowed to 45 centimeters below surface in the western portion.  This site is not National Register eligible because of disturbance, and it is recommended that the project ROW be cleared for construction.

Title: Phase II Archaeological Evaluation of the Oldham House Site (15PD20), Pendleton County, Kentucky

Authors: Richard Stallings, RPA, Susan Andrews, MA, and Amanda Kincaid
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: January 2008
Brief Abstract: AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. conducted Phase II archaeological investigations at the Oldham House Site (15PD20) in Pendleton County. Kentucky. This work was conducted at the request of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in advance of the proposed replacement of the KY 22 bridge across the Licking River at Falmouth (Item No. 6-1048.00). The purpose of the investigation was to determine if the portion of the Oldham House Site within the proposed right-of-way is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Though the site extends outside the corridor, only the portion within the right-of-way was investigated.

The Phase II investigation revealed that the site was constructed in 1828 and was inhabited continuously by three generations of the Oldham family. The occupation ended in 1964 and the house was torn down in 1996 or 1997. The excavations showed that the site was impacted by shallow bulldozing and the excavation of a trench into which demolition debris was probably dumped. Despite these negative impacts the excavations revealed that several features are still intact. The remote sensing data indicates that several more features probably exist within the proposed ROW. There was no evidence of any graves associated with the Oldham Cemetery within the proposed ROW.

Also, a culturally enriched yard midden still extends over much of the backyard houselot within the right-of-way. Though plowed, level-by-level and spatial analysis indicate the midden retains a level of vertical and horizontal integrity. Additionally, the yard midden contains a substantial number of artifacts, the majority of which accumulated during the time when Thomas and later Jesse Oldham occupied the house. These occupations span the years 1828 to ca. 1880 and ca.1880 to 1928.

These deposits can be used to address changes in the spatial organization of the houselot, activity areas, outbuilding locations, and function throughout the nineteenth century and early twentieth centuries as the house was occupied by successive generations of Oldhams.

Despite the negative demolition impacts, the remaining features and midden within the

proposed right-of-way have the potential to address significant questions about the layout of the site and how it changed over time, the history of the Oldham family, and how the family adapted to changes in socioeconomic and other cultural trends from the Antebellum through post-Reconstruction periods. Given this, the Oldham House Site is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D. It is recommended that the site be avoided or the adverse impact of the proposed construction be mitigated through Phase III data recovery.

Title: A Cultural Historic Survey for the Proposed Widening of KY 56 from West of KY 360 to the Morganfield Bypass (KY3393), Union County, Kentucky

Authors: Anne Moore and Mathia N. Scherer
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: December 2007
Brief Abstract: On 2 April 2007, Mathia N. Scherer of AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. conducted a cultural historic survey for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The survey was performed for the proposed widening of KY 56 just west of KY 360 to the Morganfield Bypass (KY 3393) (KYTC Item No. 2-310.10). The 4.3-mile reconstruction of KY 56 is proposed to provide 12-foot shoulders (10 feet to be paved). In addition to a No Build alternate, three build alternates were presented at the Public Meeting on 16 November 2006 in Morganfield, Kentucky.

This report was prepared to ensure the project is in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Federal Regulation 36CFR§800, and state regulations. The purpose of the investigation was to identify any buildings over 50 years of age for their respective eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.  Buildings over 50 years of age were also assessed for potential adverse impact from the proposed road widening.

Four buildings were identified within the Area of Potential Effect as over 50 years of age: UN-24, UN-64, UN-65, and UN-66. All four buildings are located on KY 56 and date between 1869 and the 1940s. UN-24, which was re-evaluated as a part of this survey, and UN-64 are recommended as eligible. UN-65 and UN-66 are recommended as not eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places due to a lack of physical integrity, a lack of integrity of association and feel, and/or the failure to meet any of the three National Register criteria for eligibility. The proposed widening of KY 56 will have No Adverse Effect on UN-24 and UN-64. No further work is recommended.

Title: Management Summary: Phase II Archaeological Evaluation of Site 15CL69, Carroll County, Kentucky

Authors: Nancy A. Ross-Stallings, RPA and Richard J. Stallings, RPA
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: September 2007
Brief Abstract: This management summary provides an assessment of site 15CL69, based upon Phase II investigations conducted by AMEC Earth and Environmental, Inc. (AMEC) at the request of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Located in Carroll County, this site was evaluated in advance of the proposed widening of US 42 (KYTC Item No. 6-8002.00). The purpose of the investigation was to determine if the site was eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and to provide management recommendations.

Title: A Determinations of Effect Report for the Proposed Crossings at Irish Hill Development Jefferson County, Kentucky

Authors: Mathia N. Scherer
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental          
Date: July 2007
Brief Abstract: In April 2007, AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. staff conducted a determinations of effect report of the proposed Crossings at Irish Hill for Poe Companies LLC in Jefferson County, Kentucky to determine potential adverse impacts on architectural resources. This report was prepared to ensure the project is in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the Federal regulation 36CFR§800, and the guidelines and standards of the Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office located in the Kentucky Heritage Council in conjunction with an application by Poe Companies for a permit for the proposed undertaking pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, 33USC1344 (USACE Project No. LRL-2006-859-pjg). The purpose of the investigation was to identify recorded and/or National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)-listed resources, and previously unrecorded architectural resources that may be eligible for listing in the NRHP, and to determine the adverse effects of the undertaking, if any, on these resources.

Background research indicated that a combined 1,420 architectural resources had been previously recorded either individually or as contributing buildings to the NRHP properties and districts identified below:

• Butchertown Historic District,
• Clifton Historic District,
• Cave Hill Cemetery,
• The Union Monument (Cave Hill cemetery),
• The Adolph Bloettner Monument (Cave Hill Cemetery), and
• The Valentine Schneikert House.

A total of 101 unrecorded historic resources were identified during this survey. Of these 101 resources, 15 are recommended as not eligible for NRHP listing due to their inability to meet the four National Register of Historic Places criteria. A total of 86 historic resources are recommended as eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A and Criterion C as contributing buildings to a historic district.

Sites JFEI-7 to JFEI-63 and JFEI-86 to JFEI-105 will experience no adverse impact from the proposed Irish Hill development. Although the project will be visible from these sites, the area has been visually impacted previously by modern construction along Lexington Road, Spring Street, and Payne Street, including gas stations, mini-marts, a skateboard park, commercial development, and alterations to Distillery Commons.

An assessment of potential auditory impacts found that temporary construction noise and noise associated with vehicular traffic will not have an adverse effect on historic sites and districts. Project lighting is not anticipated to have an adverse effect on historic sites or districts or their viewsheds.  In addition, cumulative impacts are not expected to adversely effect historic sites or districts in the APE.

Title: Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed Crossings at Irish Hill Development Jefferson County, Kentucky

Authors: Matthew E. Prybylski
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental          
Date: July 2007
Brief Abstract: On April 3rd through 6th and April 25th through 26th, 2007, AMEC Earth & Environmental archaeology personnel conducted a Phase I archaeological survey for the proposed Crossings at Irish Hill development in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. The project area, approximately 31 acres or 12.5 hectares, is bound on the north by CSX tracks, on the south by Lexington Road and the Middle Fork of Beargrass Creek, Spring Street to the east, and a residential district on the west. This survey was conducted at the request of Poe Companies LLC in order to assess the potential impact on cultural resources by proposed construction on the property. Currently the property is abandoned; however it was formerly the location of large scale scrap metal processing plant, River Metals Recycling LLC (River Metals) on the west and PFC Properties on the east. The Middle Fork of Beargrass Creek extends across the property and a large processing facility, built by Louisville Scrap Metal, covers the majority of land on the east side of the project area.  

As recorded in the recent archeological overview of the potential for cultural resources in the project area (Prybylski 2007), approximately 18.8 acres (7.6 hectares) were considered low probability areas based on the degree of disturbance, as well as 10 acres (4 hectares) containing high topographic relief (large changes in elevation and slope). These areas (approximately 28.8 acres or 11.6 hectares) did not require additional archaeological work beyond visual inspection. However, a more intensive survey was conducted at two locations, Area A on the western edge, and Area B on the northeast side of the project area.  Area A covered a 1.3 ac (.52 ha) area, with Area B covering approximately 1 ac (.4 ha).  These areas were identified in the archeological overview to have moderate to high probability for intact archaeological deposits (Prybylski 2007). 

During the Phase I survey, shovel tests and backhoe trenches were excavated to search for archaeological sites. One previously undocumented site, 15JF729, was located in Area B.  The site appears to represent the ruins of a distillery complex that was known first as the American Distillery and later as the Nelson Distillery Company.  This complex was present at this location during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Seven structural features were identified in the backhoe trench excavations related to The American-Nelson Distillery complex.

The American-Nelson Distillery site appears to be eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D, the potential to yield important information on the history or prehistory of the area. Recommended here are additional archival studies of the site, focused on acquiring more detailed information through historical research. This information will 1) depict the manufacturing processes used in the operations of these distilleries and 2) portray the impact and importance of these particular distilleries to the nineteenth century economy of the area and to the maintenance one of the most important industries in the development of Kentucky. However, the lack of artifacts and intact deposits within the site’s defined boundary appears to preclude the value of additional archaeological investigations. The completion of the archival studies, within a Phase II research plan, is recommended to fully address the eligibility of site 15JF729.

Title: Phase III Data Recovery and Construction Monitoring of the Lone Hill Site (15JF562/15JF10) Jefferson County, Kentucky

Authors: Anne T. Bader
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental          
Date: May 2007
Brief Abstract: This report details the Phase III archaeological mitigation and monitoring conducted of the Lone Hill site (15JF5632/15JF10). The mitigation work was conducted by Archaeology Resources Consultant Services, Inc. in 1993 and 1994. For a variety of reasons, the report was never completed. The construction monitoring began late in 2005 by AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. and was completed in 2006. As a condition for granting clearance for the project, the State Historic Preservation Office required the report be completed.

The Phase III mitigation was initiated after the Phase II investigation indicated that intact midden was present under significant amounts of fill. Based on diagnostic artifacts it appeared that the majority of the intact archaeological deposits dated to the Late Archaic period. Fragmented human remains were also found in these deposits leading to the suspicion that additional skeletal material would be present. Extensive mechanical and hand excavations were conducted during the mitigation. This resulted in the conclusion that the archaeological deposits that were thought to represent intact midden consisted entirely of redeposited soil that was displaced during the leveling of the Lone Hill landform in the 1950s and filling of surrounding low areas. Additional human remains were found during the mitigation, but these had also been displaced during the leveling of Lone Hill.

Analysis of the diagnostic lithic artifacts showed that the Lone Hill site was occupied throughout the Early, Middle, and Late Archaic periods and possibly as late as the Early Woodland period. The only subsequent occupation was represented by two Madison points, which are indicative of late Late Woodland or Mississippian occupations. No pottery was recovered, supporting the implication of limited occupation after the Archaic period. Ethnobotanical and faunal analysis was generally consistent with other Archaic period sites. The fauna showed a dominance of white tailed deer supplemented with a variety of other, generally smaller species. In addition to the wood charcoal, the assemblage was dominated by highly fragmented nut shell accompanied by a limited number of other consumable seeds. There was no evidence of domesticated species in the assemblage. The human remains were highly fragmented and revealed little information on the Native Americans who occupied the site.

The 2005-2006 monitoring resulted in the recovery of additional lithic artifacts and human remains. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these were from disturbed contexts. One potential archaeological feature was discovered. This feature contained several artifacts including a McWhinney Heavy Stemmed point. No human remains were recovered from Feature 1. A radiocarbon date run on nutshell from the feature yielded a date consistent with the McWhinney point. Though an extensive amount of area was excavated during the Phase III mitigation and later monitoring, this isolated feature was the only potentially intact cultural deposit located.

The archaeological work conducted at the Lone Hill site (15JF562/15JF10) has demonstrated that the site was effectively destroyed when the area was filled and leveled in the 1950s. Though the discovery of Feature 1 during the monitoring shows that some intact archaeological deposits may be present, the extensive work at this site has demonstrated that they would be extremely rare, limited in extent, and scattered. Because of this, any remaining intact deposits would have a very low potential to yield archaeological data significant to the understanding of the Lone Hill site or to regional prehistory. The archaeological mitigation and monitoring has demonstrated that the site 15JF562/15JF10 consists of redeposited soil and the original Lone Hill site has been destroyed. Therefore, it is recommended that no additional archaeological work be conducted.

Title: Phase I Archaeological Survey of the USACOE Permitting Areas Associated with Construction of a Highway Connector, Fleming County, Kentucky

Authors: John A. Hunter, RPA
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: April 2007
Brief Abstract: On February 26, 2007 and March 26, 2007, AMEC Earth & Environmental (AMEC) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey for the United Sates Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) permitting areas associated with construction of a highway connector in Fleming County, Kentucky. This survey was conducted at the request of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) in order to assess the potential impact on archaeological resources by the proposed construction. The permitting areas are located north of Flemingsburg, Kentucky around and between Cherry Grove Road and KY-51. The project areas consisted of seven separate permitting areas. The total survey area of the seven permitting areas encompassed approximately 16 acres (6.5 hectares).  The permit areas were considered not to extend more the 250 feet (ft) or 76 meters (m) from either side of the stream or drainage on which the permit area is centered. No archaeological sites or cultural remains were identified during the survey. No further archaeological work is recommended within the right-of-way.

Title: Phase I Archaeological Survey for KY32 Bridge and Approaches Over Middle Fork Creek, Elliott County, Kentucky

Authors: John A. Hunter, RPA
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: March 2007
Brief Abstract: On February 27 and March 16, 2007 AMEC Earth & Environmental (AMEC) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the replacement of a bridge and approaches over Middle Fork Creek, Elliott County, Kentucky (Item No. 9-1058.00). This survey was conducted at the request of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in order to assess the potential impact on cultural resources by the proposed construction of the bridge and approaches over Middle Fork Creek. The project area is situated along KY-32, southeast of Sandy Hook, Kentucky near the KY-32/KY-719 junction. The area consists of sloping hill sides and creek drainages. The total area encompassed by the project is approximately 4.1 acres (1.65 hectares). The combined approaches and bridge extend 550 meters (1,800 feet) across Middle Fork Creek floodplain and measured 30 meters (100 feet) wide.

One historic archaeological site, 15EL68, was identified during this survey. Site 15EL68 consists of an extant log cabin, a privy, a chicken coop, and an unidentified collapsed stone structure. The entire site is located outside the project area and therefore will not be impacted by the proposed bridge replacement. No cultural features or stratified subsurface deposits were identified within the site boundaries. Site 15EL68 is not eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. No further archaeological work is recommended within the right-of-way.

Title: Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed Flint Ink 69kV Substation, Access Road, and Transmission Line, Hardin County, Kentucky

Authors: Matthew Prybylski
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: February 2007
Brief Abstract: On January 17, 2007, AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. archaeology personnel, under the direction of Mr. Prybylski, conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed Flint Ink 69kV substation, access road, and transmission line located in Hardin County, Kentucky. This survey was conducted at the request of East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Inc. in order to assess the potential impact on cultural resources by the proposed construction. The substation was located in Hardin County, Kentucky, one mile southwest of the town of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The project area for the proposed substation covered approximately 1.47 acres or .6 hectares. The access road covered approximately 1 acre or .4 hectares. The 100-foot (30-meter) wide transmission line covered approximately 3.03 acres or 5.3 hectares and was 1519 feet (463 meters) long. The total project area is approximately 5.48 acres or 2.2 hectares.

No archaeological sites or other cultural resources were identified within the project area. Because no archaeological sites were located within the survey area, no further archaeological investigations are required. It is recommended that the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office grant archaeological clearance for the proposed 69kV substation, access road, and transmission line project areas.

Title: Phase II Archaeological Investigations and Phase III Mitigation of site 15WN73, Wayne County, Kentucky

Authors: Henry S. McKelway, PhD, RPA
Date: February 2007
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Brief Abstract: This report details the Phase II and III archaeological investigations conducted at Site 15WN73 by AMEC Earth & Environmental (AMEC) archaeologists between the months of June and September 2004. Site 15WN73 was initially recorded by AMEC archaeologists during a Phase I survey of the proposed bridge replacement over Elk Spring Creek and the associated realignment of KY 1275 in Wayne County, Kentucky (Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Item No. 8-1021.00) (Peterson 2002). The site was located along KY 1275 and consisted of a prehistoric lithic scatter on the flood plain of Elk Spring Creek. Based on the density of the lithic material, the recovery of a diagnostic tool, and the presence of fire-cracked rock (FCR) in the Phase I investigation, the site was considered potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under 36 CFR Part 63, Criterion D and further archaeological investigation was recommended (Peterson 2002).

Two separate episodes of Phase II investigations were performed. Ryan Peterson served as the field director for the initial Phase II investigations, with David Schatz, Tom Nohalty, and John Bybee serving as field technicians. The subsequent Phase II investigations were led by Melinda King Wetzel with Perry Harrell, Emily Lynch, Aaron Otte, and Andrew Spence serving as field technicians. The Phase III investigations were supervised by Susan Andrews (Field Director and Principal Investigator) and Melinda King Wetzel (Assistant Field Director) with Emily Lynch, Perry Harrell, Kim Simpson, Aaron Peterson, Aaron Otte, Matthew Prybylski, and Bryan Somers serving as field technicians. The initial Statement of Work (SOW) developed by AMEC and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet–Department Environmental Assessment (KYTC-DEA) required the excavation of ten 1-x-1-meter (m) units within the site boundaries delineated during the Phase I investigation. Following the excavation of the units, approximately 600 square meters (m2) were stripped using an excavator provided by KYTC. During the stripping process, several cultural features were identified and an area of intact (sub-plow zone) cultural deposits was observed. An additional test unit was excavated in this area of intact cultural deposits and produced several diagnostic artifacts. It was determined that further Phase II investigations were warranted to determine the extent of the intact strata. The subsequent SOW for additional Phase II investigations required the excavation of ten additional 1-x-1-m units within the site boundaries delineated during the Phase I and initial Phase II investigations (Peterson 2002, 2003). A modification to the proposed right-of-way (ROW) also necessitated additional shovel test probe (STP) excavation within the area of potential effect (APE).

Upon observation of the artifact content and soil profiles from the 1-x-1 m units excavated during the Phase II investigations, it appeared that the intact portion of the site lie around TUs 11 and 21, and likely extends outside the APE to the east. This portion of land is not within the impact area; is not owned by KYTC and therefore did not and will not require archaeological investigation. As the site continues to the east and south, artifact content of the 1-x-1 m units dropped dramatically. The intact portion of the site was only observed in five of the test units (TUs 12, 14, 17, 18, and 21) and one STP (STP 12). Additionally, its presence in TUs 12, 17 and 18 was minimal and erratic at best. Therefore, a good sample of the deposits was not represented from these units as a result of the Phase II investigations.

Title: Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed Liberty Church 69kV Substation, Knox County, Kentucky

Authors: Emily Lynch and Bridget A. Mohr
Date: February 2007
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Brief Abstract: On February 12, 2007, AMEC Earth & Environmental, archaeology personnel conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed Liberty Church 69kV substation located in Knox County, Kentucky. This survey was conducted at the request of East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Inc. in order to assess the potential impact on cultural resources by the proposed construction. The substation was located 2.0 miles east of the Woodbine community. The project area for the proposed substation covered approximately 1.3 acres or 0.52 hectares.

No archaeological sites or other cultural resources were identified. Because no archaeological sites were located within the survey area, no further archaeological investigations are required. It is recommended that the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office grant archaeological clearance for this proposed substation project.

Title: Management Summary: Phase II Archaeological Investigation of Site 15DA245, Owensboro, Daviess County, Kentucky

Authors: Duane Simpson, Melinda Wetzel, Susan Andrews, and Amanda Kincaid
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: January 2007
Brief Abstract: Between October 23 and December 5, 2006, AMEC Earth & Environmental archaeologists conducted Phase II excavations at site 15DA245 in Owensboro, Daviess County, Kentucky. Site 15DA245 was initially identified by AMEC archaeologists in August 2006 during a Phase I archaeological survey of a proposed boat ramp project. The archaeological assessments, Phase I and II, were required by the City of Owensboro to ensure compliance with state and Federal regulations.

Site 15DA245 consists of a combination of disturbed and undisturbed historic deposits on the loess bluff overlooking the Ohio River. Ninety nine features were identified and investigated through a combination of test unit excavation and monitored mechanical stripping. A total of 33 test units were excavated and approximately 1300 square meters were stripped to expose historic deposits and features.

Historic Sanborn mapping of the area in 1900 identified three wood frame dwellings and a sour mash building associated with the John Hanning distillery within the boundary of site 15DA245. Phase II evaluation was focused on investigating these various structures and any potential ancillary buildings located within the site confines. Artifact and structural remains indicate a domestic occupation spanning the majority of the nineteenth century, with a core occupation period from 1850 to approximately 1890. The remnants of the sour mash building located within the project boundary were identified as well. These remains indicate a large 9 m wide by approximately 20 m long structure supported by brick piers. Attached to the southern side of the building is a large network of brick foundations. These foundations appear to be the basal foundations for a boiler and chimney stack that more than likely heated the sour mash tanks housed inside the larger structure. Limited structural remains were identified of the three domestic dwellings identified on archival mapping. These dwellings were believed to be
tenement housing. Artifacts recovered from the site appear to corroborate this interpretation, as most artifacts appear to represent less expensive common types of kitchen related artifacts. In addition to the structural remains the related to the domestic dwellings, a total of 74 post molds were identified outside of the proposed house footprints, probably relating to small pens, fence lines, sheds and storage structures. A single deep brick lined well was also identified, appearing to date to the early nineteenth century domestic occupations at the site instead of its later early twentieth century commercial usage.

The site can provide important information on aspects of commercial development in Owensboro, and lower class immigrant lifeways that helped to form the character and citizenry of Owensboro. The site is believed to be eligible for the National Register. The Phase II investigation methodology that was created in consultation with the USACE and KHC lead to the stripping of the entire area defined as site 15DA245, exposing all buried features within the site’s boundary. Given the lack of any remaining uninvestigated deposits within the site’s boundary, the focus of a Phase III mitigation of the site will center on acquiring more detailed information about the site through artifact analyses and archival research.

Title: Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed Conway Substation and 69kV Transmission Line, Rockcastle County, Kentucky

Authors: Bridget A. Mohr and Chad A. Knopf
Institution: AMEC Earth & Environmental
Date: January 2007
Brief Abstract: On January 9, 2007, AMEC Earth & Environmental archaeology personnel conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed Conway substation and 69kV transmission line located in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. This survey was conducted at the request of East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Inc. in order to assess the potential impact on cultural resources by the proposed construction. The substation was located in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, one mile south of the community of Boone, Kentucky. The project area for the proposed substation covered approximately 1.3 acres or .53 hectares. The transmission line covered approximately 1.4 acres or .57 hectares. The total project area is approximately 2.7 acres or 1.09 hectares.

No archaeological sites or other cultural resources were identified. Because no archaeological sites were located within the project area, no further archaeological investigations are required. It is recommended that the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office grant archaeological clearance for this proposed substation and transmission line project.

Title: Adena pot, copper ear spool and cordage recovered from 15Mm137 in Montgomery County, Kentucky

Authors: Richmond, Michael D
Date: July 2001
Brief Abstract: Between May 15 and July 30, 2001, Cultural Resource Analysts personnel completed a phase II National Register evaluation of sites 15Mm137, 15Mm139 and 15Mm140 and deep testing along Sycamore Creek in Montgomery County, Kentucky. The sites are situated in an upland setting along three ridgetops overlooking the creek and are located within the right-of-way boundary for the proposed realignment of US 460 (Item Number 7-320.00).

The investigation of site 15Mm137 included the hand excavation of test units, mechanical stripping of plowzone and the hand excavation of features of postmolds. The current archaeological investigations identified a deflated surface layer containing a moderate to high-density lithic assemblage and intact subsurface archaeological deposits. The plowzone contained diagnostic prehistoric artifacts (hafted bifaces and ceramics) dating from the Early Archaic through the Late Woodland/Late Prehistoric Periods. The subplowzone deposits consisted of three cultural features (thermal feature N=2, artifact cache N=1), twelve prehistoric postmolds, eleven historic postmolds and sixteen historic grave shafts. All of the prehistoric features and postmolds were located directly below the plowzone and were truncated during historic/modern plowing. A radiocarbon date of 3060+/- 60 B.P., (Late Archaic) was obtained from a thermal feature. The artifact cache yielded a radiocarbon date of 1890+/-40 B.P., pointing to the Middle Woodland period. Lithic material recovered from the plowzone indicates a series of short-term residential occupations with an emphasis on lithic tool production. The Middle Woodland component was represented by a feature containing a Connestee Series tetrapodal vessel and two copper ear spools, marking Hopewellian influence. The prehistoric postmolds may or may not be associated with this components. The feature is interpreted as serving an unknown ritual function. The 16 historic graves will be described in detail and assessed in a separate report. The prehistoric component of this site is not eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. This assessment is made for the majority of the site based on a lack of archaeological integrity. In addition, the research potential for the site has been exhausted. The subplowzone cultural remains have been excavated in their entirety and the comprehensive removal of plowzone failed to identify additional cultural features.

Phase II investigations at 15Mm139 included a geophysical survey with a fluxgate gradiometer, a form of magnetometer (Geoscan Research FM36), hand excavation of test units and the mechanical removal of plowzone. The geophysical survey documented several magnetic anomalies. The anomalies were excavated and considered non-cultural. The test units documented a moderate to high density lithic assemblage in a deflated/disturbed plowzone context. The plowzone contained diagnostic artifacts dating from the Late Archaic through the Late Prehistoric period. These artifacts consisted of a Late Archaic Stemmed Cluster biface, two Small Triangular Cluster bifaces and plain and cordmarked leached tempered ceramics. Lithic material recovered from the plowzone suggests several residential occupations where lithic tool production and core reduction activities took place. The ceramics could not be assigned to a named type and may date from the late Early Woodland through Late Woodland periods. No cultural features were documented at the site. In addition, the site has been heavily disturbed by excavation for, and emplacement of a natural gas pipeline which traverses the site and which has removed that portion of the site along the crest of the ridge. Because of the large-scale disturbance and poor archaeological context of the artifacts, this site is not considered eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.
15Mm140 consisted of a multicomponent (Late Archaic through Late Prehistoric) prehistoric site. These horizons were identified based on the presence of Brewerton, Merom, Early Woodland Stemmed and Small Triangular hafted bifaces. Phase II investigations at the site consisted of a controlled surface collection, hand excavation of test units, and the mechanical removal of plowzone. The controlled surface collection and test units documented a moderate to high-density lithic assemblage in a deflated plowzone context. The mechanically excavated blocks documented three cultural features. The site likely functioned as a residential locus that was occupied repeatedly from as early as the Late Archaic through the Late Prehistoric periods. The presence of three thermal pit features and a relative diversity of lithic tool types indicate the site was occupied for more than several days at a time. The integrity of the surface and near-surface remains at site 15Mm140 has been severely compromised from plowing. Only the extreme bases of the thermal features were intact. The lack of diagnositc material and economic remains within the features, and their disturbed condition, coupled with the multicomponent nature of the site, severely limits their research potential. For these reasons, 15Mm140 is not considered eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

Deep testing along Sycamore Creek consisted of a geomorphological investigation to assess the buried site potential of the floodplain deposits located in the proposed right-of-way. The investigations were comprised of the excavation of eight backhoe trenches and two bucket auger probes in the floodplain. At least two and probably three stratigraphic units are present in the floodplain project right-of-way: (1) post-setlement or historic alluvium, (2) early/middle Holocene alluvium, and (3) probable late Holocene alluvium. No buried archaeological sites were documented as a result of this investigation. Two prehistoric chert flakes, possibly from redeposited contexts, were observed. Overall, the right-of-way has a higher than expected potential to contain buried archaeological remains. High potential does not, however, mean significant occupations will be encountered as the results of the trenching indicate negligible buried artifactual materials are present. Yet, the results of this study suggest that (1) small valleys of low order streams do have the potential to contain buried archaeological remains spanning the Holocene, and (2) although county soil series maps can provide invaluable information about the potential age of landforms and associated sediments, only subsurface field investigations can determine the distribution of alluvial units of various age.

Title: An Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Foothills Power Plant Property and National Register Evaluation of the Hart Site (15La183) in Lawrence County, Kentucky

Authors: Jonathan P. Kerr
Date: April 2001
Brief Abstract: Between January and March, 2001, Cultural Resource Analysts' personnel conducted Phase I survey and Phase II test excavations of a proposed southern expansion of a gas-fired power plant. Previous research in the area by Kerr determined that two sites (15LA76 and 15LA183) were located immediately adjacent to the current project area. Kerr relocated 15LA76 during phase I and II investigations of the proposed Riverside Power Plant and 15LA183 during survey for a proposed transmission line. At the time of those investigations, the boundaries of the sites were defined by the rights-of-way for the study areas, which coincided with the boundaries for the current project. Therefore, the cultural remains identified during the current survey represented an expansion of the boundary for one of the sites. Because there appeared to be a slight separation (negative backhoe trenches) between Site 15LA76 and no separation between Site 15LA183 and the remains identified during the current study, the latter site number was used. The survey and testing resulted in the extension of the boundaries of Site 15LA183, the Hart site.

During the survey, ca. 8.4 hectares (21 acres) were examined and 13 intact prehistoric cultural features were documented at the base of the plowzone. Additional trenching at closer intervals, stripping of plowzone to expose sub-plowzone features, and hand excavation of units were conducted. The investigations led to the documentation of 41 additional features, two possible post molds, and two areas of intact, buried cultural deposits. Temporally diagnostic material was recovered from four features indicating that the surface remains resulted from sporadic occupations from the Late Archaic to the Late Woodland periods. The scattered distribution of plow-zone-truncated features did not represent discrete occupations related to specific cultural periods. An Early Archaic, Bifurcate Cluster hafted biface, indicating a possible Kanawha phase association, was recovered from the buried occupation loci. In addition, a radiocarbon sample from Feature 23 dated to 7720 ± 160 BP, assigning the upper portion of the horizon to the Middle Archaic Stanly phase. The intact archaeological remains are considered eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

Title: Big South Fork Region Historic Context Study

Authors: Kim A. McBride and W. Stephen McBride
Date: January 2000
Brief Abstract: Between 1992 and 1994, a series of cooperative agreements were negotiated between the University of Kentucky's Program for Archaeological Research (PAR) and the Kentucky Heritage Council, the Tennessee Historical Commission, and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (BSFNRRA). Under these agreements, the PAR was to develop a historic context for the Big South Fork drainage area. It was felt that d evelopment of a general historic context for the study area would facilitate evaluation, interpretation, and management of historic resources, both within the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and in surrounding lands within the drainage, and would encourage a more balanced treatment of these areas in the future. The study area was designed to encompass all lands within the Big South Fork watershed, and includes parts of McCreary, Pulaski, and Wayne counties, Kentucky, and Fentress, Morgan, Pickett, and Scott, Tennessee. The historic context study was divided into two phases, the first being data assessment and collection, with additional research on select land histories, and the second phase the finalization of the historic contexts themselves. The results of both phases have been integrated into this context document. Due to the relative paucity of secondary historical literature for the study area, land ownership and occupational history as gleaned from deeds, surveys, and other land records provides important insights for the historic context study. Since the size of the study area precluded detailed land ownership or occupational reconstructions over its entirety, it was decided to single out three particular land tracts or areas. The three areas are ones for which historical records (documentary and oral historical) are readily accessible, and fairly representative of the most common kinds of activities and land ownership patterns within the entire study area. The three areas chosen include one representing early industry, namely salt exploration and production along the Big South Fork; as seen in the efforts of the Beatty and Huling concerns; a later industry, coal mining, as seen at one of the earlier mining complexes within the study area, Barren Fork in McCreary County; and a relatively isolated, agricultural community known as No Business and Station Camp, just below the Kentucky-Tennessee state line in Scott County, Tennessee.

Title: Phase II Testing of the Mims Site (15BB51) Located Along Paris Pike, Bourbon County, Kentucky

Authors: Richard Stallings and Nancy Ross-Stallings
Date: March 2000
Brief Abstract: This report details the results of the Phase II archaeological testing of a portion of the Mims Site (15BB51), Bourbon County, Kentucky. The purpose was to determine if the construction of the realignment of US27/68 (Paris Pike) would negatively impact any archaeological deposits surrounding a concrete pad at the south end of the site. It was suspected that this pad may have been covering a well, cistern, or some other type of historic feature associated with the Ten Mile Tavern. Excavation of two test units revealed that the area around the concrete pad contained a sparse density of relatively recent historic artifacts.

Title: Phase II Archaeological Investigations at the Triplett Creek Site (15RO183), Associated with the KY 519 (Clearfield to Clack Mountain) Project, Rowan County, Kentucky (Project # 09-156.01)

Author: Daniel B. Davis
Date: April 2000
Brief Abstract: The University of Kentucky's Program for Archaeological Research (UK-PAR) conducted a Phase II archaeological investigation of a portion of the Triplett Creek Site (15RO183) on the east side of KY 519 between Morehead and Clearfield in Rowan County, Kentucky. Artifacts recovered consist primarily of debitage and prehistoric tools; diagnostic artifacts dating to the Middle Archaic and Late Archaic subperiods were present in the assemblage. The Middle Archaic component appears to consist of multiple lithic scatters representing repeated, short-term occupations occurring over a potentially extended period of time. However, strata containing the Middle Archaic component were heavily mixed by high-energy flooding events between approximately 6000 and 3000 B.C. Late Archaic tools indicate functional activities geared toward hunting, processing of subsistence products, and the replenishment of expedient tools. Lithic resource procurement was based primarily on local chert resources, and the Late Archaic component appears to consist of at least two lithic scatters representing short to moderately short periods of occupation. The presence of midden suggests that at least one of the Late Archaic occupations may have been of a longer duration. Unfortunately, the Late Archaic component was heavily disturbed by plowing and high-energy flood events, and no potential Late Archaic features were identified.

Title: Archaeological Investigations at Area 2 of the Croley-Evans Site: A Mississippian Mound Center in Southeastern Kentucky

Authors: Richard W. Jefferies, Emanuel Breitburg, and C. Margaret Scarry
Date: May 2000
Brief Abstract: During 1996, students from the University of Kentucky Field School in Archaeology conducted investigations in Area 2 of the Croley-Evans site (15KX24), a small town and mound center located along the Cumberland River in Knox County, Kentucky. Area 2 investigations were designed to recover information that could be used to compare Late Prehistoric cultural activities at Area 2 with those documented in 1993 and 1994 (Jefferies et al. 1996) in Area 1 to the south. The analyses of the Area 2 cultural materials suggest that while there were some subtle differences in the kinds and intensities of specific activities, generally comparable behavior occurred in both parts of the site. The dietary significance of nuts suggested by the Area 1 botanical analysis is generally supported by the Area 2 data, although at a somewhat lower level.

Title: A Phase II Archaeological Evaluation of the Brier Creek Site (15ED422), Nolin Lake State Park, Edmonson County, Kentucky

Author: Daniel B. Davis
Date: May 2000
Brief Abstract: The University of Kentucky's Program for Archaeological Research (UK-PAR) conducted Phase II archaeological evaluations of the Brier Creek Site (15ED422) in Nolin Lake State Park, Edmonson County, Kentucky. The Phase I assessment of the potential significance of Site 15ED422 was based on the interpretation of the site as a possible single component, Paleoindian extractive site. During the Phase II evaluations, several additional components dating to the Middle Archaic and either the Terminal Paleoindian/Early Archaic or the Late Archaic were identified at the site. These additional components cannot be separated into discrete lithic assemblages in terms of either horizontal or vertical distribution. Furthermore, diagnostic artifacts associated with all components present at the site co-occur in Stratum II. In addition, the absence of potential cultural features identified across the site greatly reduce the research potential, and thus, the significance of the site to address questions concerning Mid-Holocene or pre-Mid-Holocene activities in the region. Finally, the mixed nature of the deposits, precipitated in part by years of agricultural activity in all but the sinkholes at the site, further reduce the research potential and significance.

Title: Peter Evans' Mill: Nineteenth-Century Industry in Fayette County, Kentucky

Author: Nancy O'Malley
Date: November 1999
Brief Abstract: Documentary and archaeological investigations at the Evans' Mill Site (15FA103) in Raven Run Nature Sanctuary uncovered abundant evidence of the nineteenth-century operation of a corn grinding mill with overshot wheel. Peter Evans, who built and operated the mill from the mid-1830s or perhaps the 1840s, used locally available limestone and wood to construct the mill building. Located on a rock ledge and built into a vertical cliff, the mill was designed to take advantage of the rugged local topography. A mill race conveying water within a wooden flume ran from the mill dam to the mill's overshot wheel, a distance of some 170 ft (50 m). The date of the mill's closing was not determined but information on Peter Evans' business activities suggests that the mill was not in operation past 1850, or was operating at a much attenuated capacity. Despite the efficiency of the mill's plan and mechanical organization, it probably became less profitable as mills in more accessible locations opened, and as roller and steam powered mills became more common. By considering all of the information gathered through documentary research, archaeological excavation, site examination, and artifact analysis, a composite picture of the mill operation was reconstructed.

Title: The Civil War in Kentucky: Archaeological Investigations at Fort Duffield, West Point, Hardin County, Kentucky

Author: Nancy O'Malley
Date: November 1999
Brief Abstract: Documentary and archaeological investigations were conducted by the University of Kentucky's Program for Archaeological Research at the site of Fort Duffield in the fall of 1997. Fort Duffield was a Union fortification, built in 1861 on top of a prominent hill overlooking the town of West Point, located on the south bank of the Ohio River downstream from Louisville, Kentucky. The fort was manned for the longest period by the 9th Michigan Infantry under the command of Col. William W. Duffield; however, other units associated with the site for short periods include the 37th Indiana Volunteers, the 1st Wisconsin, the 1st Wisconsin, the 1st and 18th Ohio, and the 16th and 28th Kentucky Infantry Regiments. Although the purpose in its construction in West Point was to defend Louisville, Fort Duffield was never attacked by the Confederate army. Field investigations included the creation of a detailed topographic map by a team of professional land surveyors, a soil conductivity survey, metal detecting, and excavation of shovel probes, trenches, and test units in various parts of the site. The purpose of the field investigations was to examine particular features associated with the earthworks (the main embankment and a possible exterior rifle trench), gather data in areas where structures had once stood, assess the preservation and integrity of archaeological deposits, and identify areas for future excavation.

Title: Phase III Archaeological Investigations at 15CU27 and 15CU31, Cumberland County, Kentucky

Author: Andrew P. Bradbury and Grant L. Day
Date: November 1999
Brief Abstract: Cultural Resource Analyst's personnel conducted phase III excavations at archaeological sites 15CU27 and 15CU31 in conjunction with the proposed realignment of Kentucky Highway 61 in Cumberland County, Kentucky. Three cultural components were defined at Site 15CU27: Early Woodland/Terminal Archaic, Middle Woodland and Late Woodland/Late Prehistoric. Based on the artifact analyses and site structure, it is suggested that three separate uses of the shelter are represented during the Early Woodland/Terminal Archaic to Middle Woodland periods: 1) as a cemetery; 2) as a cache; and 3) as a temporary field camp, probably associated with the procurement of animal resources.

Four temporal/cultural components were defined for Site 15CU31: 1) Plowzone, 2) Upper, 3) Kirk Corner Notched and 4) Lower. The three subplowzone components all appear to date to the Early Archaic period. The analyses indicated that the site represents a limited activity location. Biface production appears to have been the focus of activities at 15Cu31.

Title: Archaeological Excavations at Bell's Tavern, Barren County, Kentucky

Author: M. Jay Stottman
Date: December 1999
Brief Abstract: At the request of the Bell's Tavern Historical Park Commission, the Kentucky Archaeological Survey completed archaeological investigations of the Bell's Tavern site (15BN109) located in Park City, Kentucky. The purpose of the project was to assess the nature and potential of archaeological resources at the site, with an emphasis on a portion of the project area proposed for the construction of a pavilion and parking lot, and to determine the boundaries of a historic cemetery. The investigations determined that the area proposed for construction has been disturbed and contains no significant archaeological resources dating from the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, including intact strata and features associated with the occupation and demolition of the original tavern and a builder's trench associated with second tavern foundation. Evidence of several nineteenth-century outbuildings was also found in the project area.