1999 NS Contract for Archeological Survey of St. Mary's Road Corridor

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04/0911999 9196443002 OR, CTy, PLANNING ► 11 (USGS) maps (l.o., Hillsborough, Northwest Durham, and Rougemont 7.5' quadrangle maps) revealed the presence of numerous prehistoric and historic sites in the general study region. Potentially eligible and/or eligible historic; pruperties located through architectural survey along St. Mary's Road also suggests that associated, contributing archaeological resources may be present in the study area (Belk 1999, study area map). As in the Charleston study, the St, Mary's project will have to facilitate communication between the architectural hislotiaris and the archaeologists. Valuable research time and resources should not be wasted through unnecessary duplication of effort, such as seeking the same plat or chain-of-title-information. If the two studies are on-going, personnel should have occasional meetings to share information, sources, and ideas about Important area research themes. If one study Is completed before the other, that report should be made available to the other researchers. It should be noted that the quality of the state archaeological site files Is uneven, dependent on the standards of the time and the efficacy of the student, collector, or professional filling out the form. The St. Mary's study will entail rhw.king regional site file Information, contacting site owners and local collectors listed on older forms, and generally verifying the continued presence/absence of certain resources through field reconnaissance. One of the primary sources of Information In the Charleston study were interested local collectors and members of the local archaeological soriAtles. Orange, Durham, and Alamance counties hold a number of enthusiastic collectors, some members of the Tar Heel Archaeolugival Society, who will be contacted as part of the St. Mary's Project, These individuals may hold Important knowledge about site locations In the project area, and/or about others who would be more familiar with archaeological site locations in the fields along St. Mary's Road. Another important avenue of research are local landowners. One method to reach local landowners and other Interested Orange County residents will be to advertise (e.g., Durham and Orange county newspapers) a Town Hall" type of meeting one late afternoon or evening in the Hillsborough area Project personnel will be able to identify artifacts for local residents, help them fill out North Carolina OSA short arrchaeoingical forms„ map site locations, and help generate good will towards preservation of cultural resources. This should also enable the field crew to arrange permission(a) to access private Iands for "ground truthing" portions of the corridor as well as to further document private archaeological collections. Task Two Resewuh results should reveal locations of additional archaeological resources, such as remnants of the historic road bed and related historic structures (e.g., farmsteads, stores, and/or taverns). Historic maps research, in tandem with study of the modem topographic maps, should Indicate the prcohatAft location of the old trading path. These results will be compared to the existing alignment of St, Mary's Road to see il' trauss of the historic road might exist, perhaps by-passed by more recent road construction.activities. Previous work at Ayr-Mount Plantation In Hillsborough, and on Treybum development lands in Durham and Granville counties, 3