North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
Abstract/Summary:
Project Name: Island 70, Anconia Chute, Ajax Bar, and Cottonwood Bar, AR, LA, MS;
Reference: Duay, S.T. (1992). Cultural Resources Investigations at Island 70, Anconia Chute, Ajax Bar, and Cottonwood Bar, Mississippi River, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Coastal Environments, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, Vicksburg, Mississippi.
A remote-sensing (magnetometer) survey of four areas of rock dike construction was conducted along the Mississippi River in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The survey included both land and water areas. The first project area is Island 70, Arkansas-Mississippi, located at River Mile 606.9-L. In this area, two existing dikes were to be modified and three new dikes were to be constructed. The Island 70 area is above Scrubgrass Bend, within the cutoff of the former Concordia Bend, and is located about 40 mi south of Helena, Arkansas. At this project area 5.86 hectares (14.5 acres) of land area and 48.6 hectares (120 acres) of river area were surveyed. The second project area is Anconia Chute, Arkansas, at River Mile 526.8-R, where two dikes are to be constructed. Anconia Chute is located between Walker's Bend and Kentucky Bend, within the new cutoff of American Cutoff. This area is about 15 mi south of Greenville, Mississippi. High water at Anconia Chute eliminated land coverage and 12.6 hectares (31.1 acres) of river were surveyed. The third project area is Ajax Bar, Mississippi, at River Mile 482.3-L, where one dike is to be constructed. Ajax Bar is above Fitler Bend in the area that was formerly called Lake Providence Bend and is located approximately five miles south of Lake Providence, Louisiana. Construction had already taken place at this project area and no survey was conducted. The fourth area is Cottonwood Bar, Louisiana, at River Mile 471.2-R. Two dikes will be constructed at this project area. Near Alsatia-Salem Bend, in the area formerly called Tompkins Bend, the Cottonwood Bar project area is located about 10 mi south of Lake Providence, Louisiana. Survey coverage at this location included 1.25 hectares (3.1 acres) of land and 18.6 hectares (46 acres) of river. Each of these four areas has had at least one shipwreck reported in the vicinity. The objective of this study was to locate any boat remains that may exist in the areas to be impacted by the proposed dike construction. No magnetic anomalies that could be related to shipwrecks were found within the dike alignments of the four project areas.