The initial rail lines for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), radiate from a center point where the town of Terminus gave rise to Atlanta. This massive public undertaking created an opportunity for Georgia State University (GSU) personnel, under the direction of Dr. Roy Dickens, to implement urban archaeological excavations, which were part of the burgeoning field of Cultural Resource Management (CRM). The material recovered from this project revealed a wealth of information about the people, culture, and growth of Atlanta.

Since the conclusion of this project in 1980, little attention has been given to the physical collection. This invaluable resource has succumbed to the effects of decomposition and loss due to inattentiveness over time. This thesis focuses on the physical condition of this collection, its organization, and challenges of reassessing, stabilizing, and increasing the accessibility of the material to allow future researchers the ability to utilize this resource.