Assessment of archaeological deposits and depositional history of sediment stratigraphic units using grain size analyses, GPR, XRD, and absolute dating

Abstract

Skidaway Island is a Pleistocene-aged barrier island located along the northern coast of Georgia upon which more recent sediments have been deposited throughout the Holocene. Although past studies have analyzed various aspects of Skidaway Island, the study presented here represents the first direct comparison of soils, sediments, geomorphology and archaeological resources from the northern part of the island. Ground penetrating radar and analyses of grain size, mineralogy, and age are performed on sediments collected using a Giddings hydraulic corer. The first chronometric ages for sediments from the northern portion of Skidaway Island are reported and discussed. Using these dates in concert with other analyses reported herein, this thesis provides a geological context for the origin and subsequent development of the island along with a discussion of archaeological resources encountered at the study locations.