The Society for Georgia Archaeology’s seventeenth annual Georgia Archaeology Awareness promotion, Archaeology Month 2010, had as its theme Making the Past Come to Life: Exploring Ancient Techniques. Our request for a proclamation designating May as Georgia Archaeology Month was received and acknowledged by the Governor’s office. Several past and present SGA board members and representatives from Georgia’s archaeological community attended the proclamation signing by Governor Sonny Perdue on May 25th at the capitol. Pictured with the Governor left to right: Mike Hunt and Brandon Batt representing Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc., Pamela Baughman of the Georgia Department of Transportation, Elizabeth Shirk of the DNR – Historic Preservation Division, Tammy Herron representing the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program, State Archaeologist Dr. David C. Crass of the DNR – Historic Preservation Division, and Sudha A. Shah representing Brockington and Associates.

Governor Perdue signs the 2010 Archaeology Month proclamation. (Photo credit: Charlie Miller, Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources.)

2010 Archaeology Month proclamation. Click here to view/download a larger, readable version of the proclamation.

This annual promotion would not be possible without the assistance received from co-sponsors and event sponsors which allows us to offer this program to the public, thereby reaching thousands throughout the state. Our goal of raising public awareness of the importance of our state’s archaeological resources was met through the distribution of 2000 posters, an associated lesson plan, and the education of those attending archaeology month events scheduled throughout the state in celebration of Georgia’s rich archaeological heritage. These events included archaeological exhibits, artifact identification days, archaeology lab open houses, lectures, public archaeology days, children’s stories, and crafts. For the second year in a row, the events brochure and lesson plan were placed on-line in an effort to save on printing and mailing costs, as well as hoping to reach more people through the worldwide web. Posters were distributed to 8th-grade social studies teachers in the public schools, archaeology month co-sponsors, event sponsors, and SGA chapters in late April. We have already received positive comments regarding our lesson plan entitled “Learning Through Archaeology: Exploring Ancient Techniques.”

Packaging day was held on April 26th at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Volunteers logged approximately 50 hours throughout the course of the day as a result of set up, collating, tube stuffing, box filling, mail runs, and clean up. Dennis Blanton, Beth Gantt, Tammy Herron, Kate Jackson, David Kasriel, Lyn Kirkland, Catherine Long, Karen Oates, Leslie Perry, Dot Rascoe, Armondo Tovar, Allen Vegotsky, and Connie White donated their time to this effort. Several these individuals are members of the Greater Atlanta Archaeological Society, and we appreciate their support.

The SGA’s annual gathering for the spring meeting was held in Albany, Georgia on May 14–16, 2010. The Executive Board of the Georgia Council of Professional Archaeologists (GCPA) met in the early afternoon of Friday, May 14th, followed by the general meeting of the GCPA. Later in the afternoon, members of the Executive Board of the Society for Georgia Archaeology held their quarterly meeting. Following the meeting, we enjoyed a tasty cookout at the campground of The Parks at Chehaw. The spring meeting, coordinated by Tammy Herron and Brian Floyd, was held on Saturday, May 15th at The Parks at Chehaw near Albany, Georgia. Tom Gresham and Rick and Sonja Sellers greeted visitors at the registration table. At this station, attendees could also learn more about the Society, view artifacts commonly found in the Central Savannah River Area, learn about the Stallings culture, and visit with Jim D’Angelo to learn about the Fort Daniel site. SGA members could also pick up the Archaeology Month poster and the current issue of Early Georgia to read the latest scoop on archaeological projects around the state. Lynn Pietak and Curtis Booney and Ben and Pamela Baughman manned the kids’ area and educated the youngsters through hands-on activities such as pottery stamping, vessel mending, and making gorgets. Special thanks to Dan and Rita Elliott for driving Abby the ArchaeoBus to the event. Visitors of all ages enjoyed taking a tour of Abby. Dan and Rita reported turning a lot of heads as Abby traveled the highways and byways crossing South Georgia—good publicity for the SGA and archaeology! Did you know that you can follow Abby through her own personal diary and monitor her travels around Georgia?

In striving to explore the ancient lifeways of Georgia’s early inhabitants and further apply their expertise to archaeological fieldwork, Brian Floyd coordinated a wealth of knowledge and talent in the demonstrators that he selected to participate in Saturday’s event. His aim was to target the lesser promoted primitive techniques such as basket making, bone tool production, cordage, edible and medicinal plant use, hide tanning, and so forth—activities that the interested public does not usually get to experience at knap-ins. Brian’s vision was to have the archaeologists and primitive technologists interact throughout the day and examine each station at the end of the day together to concentrate on answering questions often raised as a result of archaeological excavations.

Several demonstrators traveled many miles to share their knowledge, and the Archaeology Month Committee worked tirelessly to make it a fun and educational event for SGA members and the public alike. Although we did not have the huge crowd that we had hoped for, the turnout of approximately 100 people still made the event a success. We would like to extend a big thanks to all who helped make the event possible and to those who came out to join us for their support. Special thanks to Brian for not only coordinating the demonstrators, but for participating as a demonstrator as well. In years past, Brian used to observe primitive technologists Scott Jones and Ben Kirkland at various events and considers them as great mentors. Brian stated, “I used to watch them at the Chehaw powwow back in the early 1990s, and it inspired and educated me in the ways of primitive technology. It really changed my life when I first met those guys. When I demonstrate I always wonder if any one of the people watching me are getting the same inspiration from what I am doing. I hope I am passing on the knowledge and inspiration the same as it was passed to me.” Well Brian, it is our hope that you or perhaps one of the other demonstrators did strike a cord with one of the visitors and perhaps mold his/her future path.

We wish to extend a special thank you to the demonstrators that participated in the event: Nancy Basket: basket making; Jack Boedecker: bone tools; Jackie Briggs: weaving; Carl Etheridge: steatite carving; Brian Floyd: edible and medicinal plants, and hide tanning; Keith Grenoble and Denton Bragg: pottery and Native American cooking; Scott Jones: cordage, stone tool production and hafting, and more; Ben Kirkland: fire-by-friction, flintknapping, atl-atl throwing and more; James Stewart: burn and scrape woodworking; and Sean Taylor: blow darts, flintknapping, and more.

Two interesting and insightful lectures were presented during the mid-afternoon. President Dennis Blanton presented a paper entitled “Learning the Hard Way: An Experimental Native House Construction at Etowah.” Summarizing an experimental archaeology experiment performed by Dwight Kirkland and Brian Floyd, Dwight presented “Charred Flakes: An Experiment to Duplicate Artifacts from a Second Millennium B.C. Fire Hearth.” Thanks so much guys for your willingness to share your research.

Liz Gray, Sales Manager with the Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau, arranged an optional tour highlighting some of the interesting sites around Albany for the group on Sunday, May 16th. Nine eager tourists met at the historic Bridge House, home of the Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau, to begin the tour Sunday morning. Local historian Tommy Gregors led us on an informative stroll along the scenic river walk on the west bank of the Flint River. Luckily, the mulberries were in season, too, and provided a bountiful snack along the way. Tommy then led the group on a tour of the Thronateeska Heritage Center which is comprised of the Heritage Museum, an interactive science discovery center, the state-of-the-art Wetherbee Planetarium, the historic Fryer-Merritt House, an 1857 train depot, brick-lined streets dating to 1912, and a model railroad museum.

Group photo at Thronateeska Heritage Center (L to R): Aidine Kiernan, Russ and Whit Perrin Wright, Brian Floyd, Dick Brunelle (in front), Tammy Herron, Pam Baughman, Kevin Kiernan, and Ben Baughman.

Following our visit at Thronateeska, we headed back to tour the Bridge House, enjoy lunch, and watch a 12-minute movie about Albany’s history. The Hammack family (4) joined the group, and we were soon headed off on another journey with Liz Gray to tour the 175,000-gallon, 22-foot-deep, open-air Flint RiverQuarium Blue Hole. Aside from learning about the wide variety of fish, reptiles, and plants that inhabit the Flint River watershed, we also enjoyed trying to find all of the birds represented in the Cypress Pond Aviary—a recent addition to the Flint RiverQuarium. We also got to see a rare albino alligator that is currently part of a temporary exhibit on loan from the Museum of Florida History called Alligators: Dragons of Paradise.

Beautiful Radium Springs.

Our final tourist stop was Radium Springs. Did you know that this is one of Georgia’s seven wonders? Better yet, can you name the other six? Radium Springs is reportedly the largest natural spring in Georgia and flows at an amazing rate of approximately 70,000 gallons per minute. The crystal clear blue water is truly beautiful and remains a frigid 68°F year round. I wonder what the Native Americans thought about this place. A large casino once graced the banks above the springs and was the place to be in the early part of the twentieth century. This historic structure was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in recent years. However, severe flooding since that time damaged the building beyond repair such that it had to be demolished. Currently, Dougherty County is working to establish the Radium Springs Botanical Garden at the site and is due to open the gates in the near future.

Months of planning and hard work by the Archaeology Month Committee precedes Archaeology Month each year. The 2010 committee members included Tammy Herron, chairman, along with Pamela Baughman, Catherine Long, and Brian Floyd. Pamela Baughman coordinated the calendar of events and created the e-brochure that was posted on the website. Tammy Herron created the poster and lesson plan, handled meeting arrangements, and coordinated Sunday’s tour. Catherine Long assisted with the lesson plan, distribution, and coordinating with the Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau. Brian Floyd coordinated the primitive technologists for the spring meeting. Publicity was tackled by each of these members, plus President Dennis Blanton. Special thanks to Scott Jones for allowing SGA to use information from his book, A View to the Past: Experience and Experiment in Primitive Technology, to create the poster and lesson plan. We would also like to thank Rob Moon for assisting with graphic design and layout. And last but not least, thanks to Ben Kirkland, Natural Resource Manager at Chehaw, for his assistance in planning and taking part in the event.

Be sure to join us next year as we commemorate the sesquicentennial anniversary of the War Between the States, and thank you for your continued support of archaeology in Georgia!

The SGA’s 2010 Spring Meeting, held Saturday, May 15th, at The Parks at Chehaw, just outside of Albany, featured demonstrators knowledgable in the skills of ancient peoples, in accordance with this year’s Archaeology Month theme: Making the Past Come to Life! Exploring Ancient Techniques.

Visitors could also tour the ArchaeoBus!

Click on any picture below to see it larger.

In conjunction with the Spring Meeting during 2010 Archaeology Month, SGA’s Board and Officers met in Albany for about three hours on Friday afternoon, May 14th, the day before the general meeting. Many topics requiring only brief discussion were covered, plus a few that required more reflection. The leadership discussed plans for the next two meetings (Fall 2010 and Spring 2011), and more.

Past President Rita Elliott volunteered to chair the Nominating Committee. Please email Rita here or call her at 912.826.5214 if you’re interested in serving the SGA, either on the Board or in some other capacity. Please volunteer now!

Fall Meeting plans are moving ahead for October 16th, on the coast in the Brunswick/St. Simons Island area. The Fall Meeting Chairman is Board Member Kevin Kiernan.

A special thanks to the Committee who organized the 2010 Archaeology Month activities and meetings, and all who helped with this major undertaking. Tammy F. Herron ably lead this committee.

Tackling the task at hand! Packaging is underway!

As the Archaeology Month Committee Chairman, you know you are on the home stretch when you are able to schedule Packaging Day for the posters. With the poster design safely in the hands of the printer, SGA Vice President Catherine Long ordered poster tubes so that copies of the poster could be shipped to 8th-grade history teachers throughout Georgia, as well as to the sponsors of Archaeology Month and the event co-sponsors. On Thursday April 15th, 575 tubes arrived at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta. Brothers Trade Printing did a wonderful job printing 2,000 archaeology month posters and delivered them to Fernbank on Thursday, April 22nd. With this delivery in hand, the stage was set for Packaging Day to take place on Monday, April 26th.

On the morning of the 26th, thirteen volunteers—including members of the Greater Atlanta Archaeological Society and the Gwinnett Archaeological Research Society—arrived ready for work detail. Volunteers collated paperwork, rolled posters, stuffed tubes, affixed mailing labels, constructed boxes from recycled cardboard, and packed boxes throughout the course of the day. With the majority of the work completed shortly after noon, mouthwatering pizza was enjoyed by all for lunch—thank you, Dennis! Approximately 45 volunteer hours were logged throughout the course of the day. Special thanks to Dennis Blanton, Beth Gantt, Kate Jackson, David Kasriel, Lyn Kirkland, Catherine Long, Karen Oates, Leslie Perry, Dot Rascoe, Armondo Tovar, Connie White, and Allen Vegotsky for your diligence and expedience in assisting me throughout the day!

Click on the thumbnails below to see more pictures!

Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau from street view at Google Maps.

Georgia Archaeology Month 2010 Chairman Tammy F. Herron announces:

For those attending the Spring Meeting in Albany on Saturday, May 15th, there is an optional tour scheduled for Sunday, May 16th, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau has arranged a tour highlighting some of the interesting sites around Albany for us—please see the itinerary below. As far as cost, you will need $5.50 for the Flint RiverQuarium group ticket rate and money for lunch. A Subway is only a short distance from the Bridge House, as well as Riverfront Barbeque. I look forward to seeing you in Albany!

Itinerary for optional tour on Sunday, May 16th in Albany

• 9:30 a.m. – Meet at the Bridge House (home of the Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau), 225 West Broad Avenue. Tour the Bridge House and see the 12-minute free movie about Albany’s history.
• 10:15 a.m. – Tour Thronateeska Heritage Center and walk the River Walk with Tommy Gregors (2.5 miles). Have transportation at the other end for pick up. You may want to carpool and drop some cars there in the morning so when we get to the end you have some way to get back.
• 12:00 p.m. – Head back to the Bridge House to have lunch.
• 1:00 p.m. – Tour Flint RiverQuarium.
• 2:00 p.m. – Ride out to Radium Springs Gardens to see one of Georgia’s seven wonders.
• 2:30 p.m. – Tour ends.

How could Native American Indians in Georgia have survived in a vast “wilderness” for thousands of years? That question will be answered on Saturday, May 15th at The Parks at Chehaw in Albany. Human survival long ago required mastery of the many skills to be demonstrated and explained by experts who have studied and learned them. So, if you’ve ever wanted to get back to basics—this program is for you!

The event is open to the public and will highlight the ancient technology of Georgia’s past. Demonstrators will show how stone tools, pottery, wooden implements, cordage, woven items—and more—were made and used. Bring the family for an opportunity to see these skills demonstrated first hand! Also, take a tour of the ArchaeoBus, visit the kids’ area, and learn how you can become a supporter of archaeology in the state of Georgia!

Throughout the month of May, organizations, museums, parks and historic sites in communities across the state are sponsoring educational programs and events to promote public awareness of the existence and value of Georgia’s archaeological resources.

Governor Sonny Perdue has proclaimed May 2010 as Archaeology Month in Georgia. This year marks the 16th anniversary of The Society for Georgia Archaeology’s archaeology awareness promotion, which fosters better public awareness of archaeology and a sense of stewardship for our state’s archaeological sites. This year’s theme, Making the Past Come to Life! Exploring Ancient Techniques, will reach thousands of Georgians through educational materials and events. Elsewhere, with Georgia’s wide spectrum of archaeological sites—from Native American cultures dating as far back as 12,000 years to Civil War battlefields to 19th-century shipwrecks, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

Click here to download a one-page press release.

The Spring 2010 Meeting of the Society for Georgia Archaeology will be Saturday, May 15th, at The Parks at Chehaw, just outside of Albany.

The SGA has reserved a block of rooms at the Country Inn & Suites, one of Albany’s newest hotels. It’s in northwest Albany, and close to the park. Online information is here, including an excellent map and directions. We have a block of rooms reserved at the Country Inn & Suites. The block of rooms consists of 5 King rooms and 10 Double Standard rooms with two queen beds. The cost for each is $82.00 + 14% tax, for a total of $93.48/night. These rooms will be available at the group rate until Monday May 3, 2010. Check-in time for all rooms is 3:00 pm, and check-out time is 11:00 am. To get to the Country Inn & Suites from US 19/US82, take Exit 7 and go north onto Nottingham Way. The Country Inn & Suites is located on the left. The phone number at the Albany hotel is 229-317-7100; the Country Inn & Suites company’s toll-free number is 1-800-596-2375.

The Georgia Council of Professional Archaeologists will have meetings on Friday, May 14th. The GCPA Board will meet from 12:30 to 1:30 pm. Then the GCPA will meet from 1:45 to 3:30 pm.

The SGA Board will meet after the GCPA meetings, from 3:45 to 5:30 pm.

All Friday meetings will be in the Tift Room at the Country Inn & Suites.

For those who love the outdoors, camping is available at The Parks at Chehaw nestled on Lake Chehaw off SR 91, 1.2 miles north of US 19/82/SR 50. The physical address is 105 Chehaw Park Road, Albany, GA 31701; 229-430-5275. Read more information online here.

The location of The Parks at Chehaw is shown in the map below.

Click here for a PDF of the hotel and camping information (except the Best Western info, added later and listed below).

Other suggestions for accommodations

Best Western, at 2729 Pointe North Blvd., Albany, GA 31721; phone 229-446-2001 (newly renovated; pictures below)

Hilton Garden Inn located at 101 S. Front Street, Albany, GA 31701; phone 229-888-1590

Jameson Inn located at 2720 Dawson Road, Albany, GA 31707; phone 229-435-3737

Quality Inn – Merry Acres located at 1500 Dawson Road, Albany, GA 31707; phone 229-435-7721

Wingate by Wyndham located at 2735 Dawson Road, Albany, GA 31707; phone 229-883-9800

Photos

Here are a few pictures from the Albany Best Western.

The Society for Georgia Archaeology invites you to join us in honoring the our state’s seventeenth annual Archaeology Month! The theme is “Making the Past Come to Life! Exploring Ancient Techniques.”

Attend our Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 15th at The Parks at Chehaw, 105 Chehaw Park Road, just outside of Albany [map below].

The meeting features exciting outdoor demonstrations by modern-day craftsmen who will show you skills much like our ancestors’.

You will see flintknapping, cordage, burn and scrape woodworking, weaving and woven bags, bone tools, steatite carving, basket making, pottery, brain tanning of hides, fire by friction, edible/medicinal plants, and other skills. The demonstrators and archaeologists include Ben Kirkland, Scott Jones, James Stewart, Jackie Briggs, Sean Taylor, Carl Etheridge, Brian Floyd, Keith Grenoble, and Nancy Basket.

The meeting will also host a kid’s area with hands-on activities that children always enjoy.

Also at the meeting, the SGA’s unique ArchaeoBus will be open for tours. The ArchaeoBus is SGA’s travelling emissary, bringing dynamic educational programs around the state. Read more about the ArchaeoBus here.

The SGA has reserved a block of rooms, and has assembled hotel information for establishments convenient The Parks at Chehaw.

You can now download the Archaeology Month Events Brochure for this year.

The Society for Georgia Archaeology proudly presents this year’s lesson plan! It offers information, instruction, pictures, discussions, activities, and suggestions for additional reading and online resources.

The theme SGA has chosen for Georgia Archaeology Month 2010 is Making the Past Come to Life! Exploring Ancient Techniques. We hope that the readers of this lesson plan will become familiar with a range of skills and techniques used by the early inhabitants of Georgia, and perhaps better understand the dynamic interaction between the natural environment and humans and their culture.

Attend our Spring Meeting on May 15th at The Parks at Chehaw, just outside of Albany (map below), and see these techniques demonstrated. You will see flintknapping, cordage, burn and scrape woodworking, weaving and woven bags, bone tools, steatite carving, basket making, pottery, brain tanning of hides, fire by friction, edible/medicinal plants, and other skills. The demonstrators and archaeologists include Ben Kirkland, Scott Jones, James Stewart, Jackie Briggs, Sean Taylor, Carl Etheridge, Brian Floyd, Keith Grenoble, and Nancy Basket. For more on the meeting, click here.

Much of the information in the lesson plan was extracted from Scott Jones’s book, A View to the Past: Experience and Experiment in Primitive Technology, which is discussed elsewhere on this website. For more information about primitive skills or to order A View to the Past, please visit Scott’s website here. The SGA sincerely appreciates Scott’s myriad contributions to this lesson plan.

The lesson plan explores primitive skills, defined as “belonging to or characteristic of an early stage of development.” The plan notes:

As you study the ways of the ancients you begin to notice that it is the relative simplicity of their techniques that allows us to use similar skills in survival situations today. But, you also need to have some knowledge of and respect for your natural environment. [page 8]

Activities include suggestions for making a clay gorget necklace, using a digging stick in creating a garden, and more.

Click here to access the SGA’s 2010 lesson plan that explores techniques that ancient peoples would have used near-daily.

Consider attending this all-day event at Cumberland Island, intended to familiarize educators with archaeology resources for the classroom that can enhance learning opportunities in math, science, art, and social studies.

Participants will meet at St. Mary’s waterfront, noted on map below, on Saturday May 22, 2010 at 8:00 am. The National Park Service will arrange transportation to the island. You must bring your own snacks and lunches, although a community dinner is provided. Dorm space on the island is provided; program ends on Sunday, May 23rd.

Registration is $10 and reservations are first-come first-served, with a cap of 25. If you are interested in attending please contact Amber via email by clicking here or call (904) 819-6498.

Click here for a one-page brochure with details about this teacher training workshop.

For more information about sponsors visit Project Archaeology online here or the Florida Public Archaeology Network online here.

Join event cosponsors Augusta Archaeological Society and Augusta Museum of History on Saturday, May 8th 2010, at the 1797 Ezekiel Harris House, 1822 Broad Street in Augusta for myriad activities, including flint knapping, primitive skills demonstrations, artifact identification, Ezekiel Harris House tours, and Paleoindian point identification and recordation by archaeologists who will be on-hand to speak with visitors.

The event is from 10 am to 4 pm, and admission is free. In case of rain, the event will be moved to the Augusta Museum of History, 560 Reynolds Street, in downtown Augusta.

Download a flyer for more information by clicking here to help publicize this Archaeology Day!

For information, visit the Augusta Museum of History website, or call the museum at 706-722-8454.

This is one of many fun Archaeology Month activities planned around the state.

The ArchaeoBus at CoastFest 2009.

The SGA proudly presents a brochure listing Archaeology Month events scheduled for around the state. This year, 2010, is Georgia’s seventeenth Archaeology Month!

The theme of this year’s Archaeology Month is “Making the Past Come to Life! Exploring Ancient Techniques.”

Scheduled events include open houses at laboratories, speakers, archaeology day at several locations around the state, and the 2nd Annual Fort Daniel Frontier Faire.

For SGA members, the highlight of Archaeology Month 2010 may well be the SGA’s own meeting on Saturday, May 15th at The Parks at Chehaw, 105 Chehaw Park Road, just outside of Albany. At our meeting you can visit

a kid’s area with hands-on activities

and tour the ArchaeoBus, SGA’s travelling emissary

live demonstrations by modern-day craftsmen who will show you skills much like our ancestors’, who will demonstrate flintknapping, burn and scrape woodworking, basket and pottery making, fire by friction, edible/medicinal plants, and many other fascinating skills.

Read more about the SGA spring meeting here.

Ongoing events throughout the month include a new De Soto exhibit at Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta in May 2010 (admission fees). The exhibit features the findings of Fernbank Museum’s ongoing archaeological explorations along the lower Ocmulgee River. Artifacts and other information highlights the unexpected discovery of early Spanish artifacts, dating before 1550, that quite possibly are associated with Hernando de Soto’s trek across Georgia in 1540.

Also, the Screven County Library (106 South Community Drive, Sylvania) is hosting an exhibit celebrating Archaeology Month for the whole month of May, 2010. The exhibit will highlight the Society for Georgia Archaeology and its vision, and display artifacts, book titles, and information regarding local archaeological sites.

Click here to access the brochure in PDF format. You can also click here to view the SGA’s online calendar, which lists the daily events, but not the ongoing events.

The Screven County Library in Sylvania (106 South Community Drive) is hosting an exhibit celebrating Archaeology Month for the whole month of May, 2010. The exhibit will highlight the Society for Georgia Archaeology and its vision that all Georgians understand the significance of their archaeological sites so that they will support archaeological preservation, education, and research. Various artifacts, book titles, and information regarding local archaeological sites will also be displayed.

Exhibit: Celebrating Georgia Archaeology Month

Dates: May 1st – May 31st, 2010

Time: Operating Hours, Monday 10:00 am—6:00 pm, Tuesday-Friday 9:00 am—6:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am—5:00 pm, Closed Sunday

Location: Screven County Library, 106 South Community Drive, Sylvania, GA 30467

Contact: Main Office, 912-564-7526, or online here, or Tammy Herron at 803-725-5259

Fees/Limits: None

Attend the SGA’s Spring Meeting on Saturday, May 15th, 2010, at The Parks at Chehaw, outside of Albany, and tour the ArchaeoBus!

Stay tuned to this website for more information about other activities planned for the meeting.

Read more about the ArchaeoBus here. As we at the SGA often say, “the ArchaeoBus is a travelling emissary for the Society for Georgia Archaeology, bringing dynamic educational programs to students and people around the state.”

Hotel information is here.

Please consult our Society’s online calendar to choose 2010 Archaeology Month events you want to attend! Here’s the direct link.

May is Archaeology Month in Georgia, and this year’s Archaeology Month events begin in late April. Events are scheduled around the state and include open houses at archaeology laboratories on university campuses, lectures, and hands-on activities at historic sites. Click here for the full listing.

The SGA proudly announces the 2010 Archaeology Month events, which include our Society’s semi-annual meeting on May 15th at The Parks at Chehaw, near Albany. They are scheduled around the state and include open houses at archaeology laboratories on university campuses, lectures, and hands-on activities at historic sites. Click here for the full listing.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta announces that an exhibit titled “De Soto’s Footprints: New Archaeological Evidence from Georgia” will open in May 2010. The exhibit features the findings of Fernbank Museum’s ongoing archaeological explorations along the lower Ocmulgee River. Artifacts and other information highlights the unexpected discovery of early Spanish artifacts, dating before 1550, that quite possibly are associated with Hernando de Soto’s trek across Georgia in 1540.

The Museum is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The exhibit admission is included with Museum admission: Adults $15,
Students and Seniors $14, Children ages 3-12 $13, Children 2 and
under Free. Fernbank Museum members admitted free as part of member benefits.

Address: Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

Contact: Main Office, 404-929-6400

The SGA invites you to host an Archaeology Awareness event in May 2010!

Georgia’s seventeenth annual Archaeology Awareness promotion will be held in May 2010. The Society for Georgia Archaeology coordinates this statewide event that encourages the public to learn about the archaeological resources present in our state and creates public awareness about the importance of protecting Georgia’s archaeological heritage.
 
Highlights of the month will be special tours, hands-on events, exhibits, lectures, and family fun. The theme for this year’s Archaeology Month is “Making the Past Come to Life! Exploring Ancient Techniques” and will focus on living history, experimental archaeology, and primitive technology.
 
Please join in and help celebrate Georgia Archaeology Month 2010 by hosting an activity. Your event will be included in the Calendar of Events brochure, which will be distributed to public schools, regional libraries, and state and federal historic sites and parks as well as posted on this website. Help us publicize Georgia archaeology by sponsoring an event. Click here for the list below and more suggestions in a document!

Please respond using this event form to ensure that your activity and all its details are included in the Calendar of Events brochure, which is distributed statewide to publicize events. This year’s brochure will be an electronic format, which will be distributed in late March, including via this website. Please submit your event information by March 5th, 2010 to ensure that your activity is included in the mailing.
 
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Pamela Baughman at 404-631-1198 or via email at work or home.
 

Thank you for your participation!

• FEATURE AN HISTORIC SITE OR PARK: promote local resources by hosting, conducting or facilitating an activity or event at one, featuring its resources.
• PROMOTE PRESERVATION PROGRAMS: Georgia and National Register of Historic Places, Preservation Planners, Certified Local Government, Preservation Commissions, archaeological or historical societies with guest speakers, local tours, special exhibits, or video/slide shows.
• INVITE AN ARCHAEOLOGIST to give a talk about archaeology in general, Georgia archaeology, or local archaeological research, using a local public meeting facility such as a library, courthouse, city hall or school auditorium (see list of archaeologists).
• HIGHLIGHT A TOPIC: schedule a video about archaeology focusing on a familiar or critical topic such as a local site, an archaeology project, or “hot” issue, for example, looting or vandalism.
• ARRANGE A TOUR: schedule a tour of a local archaeological site at a nearby park or historic site (contact a local travel agent, visitors bureau or regional tourism representative for ideas).
• SET UP A “SHOWCASE” in a local facility such as a museum, library, school, courthouse or visitor’s center.
• Feature books, maps, artifacts, photographs, videos, slides and historic documents to highlight local archaeological sites and research in learning about Indians, pioneers and settlers of the area in a high profile public space;
• Display local collections of artifacts found by residents of your community;
• Highlight local or regional historic sites, parks or other places interpreting archaeological sites with brochures, photos, maps, talks and tours;
• Host publicized series of scheduled speakers, video/slide shows, exhibits, displays, etc.;
• Use local travelers by scheduling them for talks about their trips to archaeological sites, highlighting exhibits with their photos or artifacts;
• PRESENT A LECTURE SERIES: for a period (weekly or monthly) schedule a series of lectures by archaeologists or others interested in archaeology of the area, for example, an historian, geologist, preservation planner, traveler or collector.
• SPOTLIGHT LOCAL TRAVELERS: schedule a series of presentations (slides, videos, postcards or talks) by neighbors, friends or travel agents who have visited archaeological sites near and far, featuring archaeology in an interesting and informative way.
• FEATURE PRIMITIVE SKILLS (artifact manufacture and use): flint knapping, pottery making, blacksmithing, basket making, woodcarving, hide tanning, and/or blowgun shooting.
• SHOW ARCHAEOLOGY VIA HOLLYWOOD: have a movie festival featuring old films with archaeology themes or subjects (see list under “Movies”).

The Spring Meeting of the Society for Georgia Archaeology is set for Saturday, May 15th, 2010. The meeting will be held at The Parks at Chehaw just outside of Albany, and is, of course, open to the public.

The SGA’s spring meeting is one event in the statewide Archaeology Month, currently held in May. The SGA encourages participation in Archaeology Month, both by attending and by scheduling events. Read this story and schedule an event!

Stay tuned to this website for more information about the Spring Meeting and 2010 Archaeology Month events!