Ossabaw Island: Archaeological Investigations at 9CH155: November 2008

This report documents a recent l y completed archaeological project by The LAMAR Institute on a portion of the Newell Creek site (9CH 155) on Ossabaw Island, Chatham County, Georgia (Figures I and 2). The Newell Creek site is located on the southern portion of Ossabaw Island on an elevated bluff above Newell Creek. This multi-component site is actively eroding along the creek bank and human burials are among the casual ti es of this natural geo-morphological process. Once the Historic Preservation Division was notified of a critical erosion problem in 200 I , archaeologists were dispatched to assess the situation. Several buria ls were eroding and col lapsi ng down the creek bank. The human remai ns were ca refully excavated, analyzed and later reburied in a ceremony at Middle Place near the island 's center. That earlier recovery and rebu rial effort was documented by several reports by archaeologists from the Archaeological Services Unit of the Historic Preservation Di vision, Georgia Department of Natural Resources (Office of State Archaeologist [henceforth cited as, OSA] 200 I , 2003, 2004). In early 2008, more human remains were detected eroding from a large feature on the creek bank, a short distance north of the Newell Creek boat dock. OSA archaeologists arrived at the site in April, 2008 to assess the situation. The OSA archaeologist's assessment of the recurring situation prompted the present request for salvage excavation of the eroding burial feature and a GPR survey of important cultural resources along the creek strand. This project was conducted in close consultation with the State of Georgia 's Council on American Indian Concerns.