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”).

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.

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 2 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 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!

For the 17th year, the SGA is coordinating Georgia Archaeology Month, a statewide promotion that encourages the public to learn about the archaeological resources present in our state and creates awareness about the importance of protecting Georgia’s archaeological heritage. Your help is needed to plan the activities that will be the basis of our Calendar of Events. Possible activities are site tours, workshops, excavations for the public, open houses at museums or laboratories, exhibits, and lectures.

Please join in and help celebrate Georgia Archaeology Month 2010. Your event will be included in the Calendar of Events brochure, which will be distributed statewide as well as posted on this website. 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.

Hold an event! Join in the Fun!

Here are some suggestions for local host organizations:

Libraries – create window or lobby displays that highlight books, journals, and magazines on archaeology; develop with archaeologists special student or seniors’ programs; host lectures

Museums – develop special exhibits or let us promote your existing archaeological displays; host lecture.

Historical and Archaeological Societies – host lectures or exhibits; work with local archaeologists to provide hands-on experiences; encourage members to visit archaeological sites and exhibits during the month.

Colleges and Universities – encourage faculty to join in special community programs; promote archaeology curricula and field research of faculty; if appropriate, develop exhibits for student activity centers, libraries, and other public spaces.

Professional archaeologists – present a talk to the public; sponsor an open house.

Help us publicize Georgia archaeology by sponsoring an event. Please respond by March 5, 2010 using this event form to ensure that your activity is included in our Calendar of Events brochure.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Pamela Baughman at work or home.

The theme for Archaeology Month 2010 will focus on Primitive Technology, and the committee is very close to deciding on a catchy title for use on the poster and other promotional literature for this celebration. Plans for the Spring 2010 meeting are underway with a unique twist in store for you!

Rather than organizing lecture presentations, we have opted to invite modern-day craftsmen who practice olden-day techniques, such as flintknappers, potters, basket makers, and weavers, to bring the ways of the past to life. We are hoping to pair each exhibiter with an archaeologist who will discuss how the technology depicted relates back to the field of archaeology. A tour to a local archaeological site is in the works as well.

Committee members are busy working to nail down a time and place for the event in the southwestern corner of the state near Albany. This area is rich in history but lacks an SGA chapter. Perhaps by holding our Spring meeting in this region, we can drum up interest and encourage the organization of a new chapter!

Please check this website and the next issue of The Profile for updates regarding the Spring meeting.

Just a brief head’s-up that plans for the Spring Meeting (that is, Spring 2010) are moving forward. We plan to meet in Albany, and we’re looking at Saturdays in mid-May.

Of course, our Spring Meeting will be part of Archaeology Month, and the SGA always has a theme for Archaeology Month, including our poster and our meeting. The theme for the SGA’s 2010 Archaeology Month is primitive technology. Right now the working title is: Making the Past Come to Life! Exploring Ancient Techniques.

Rather than organizing lecture presentations, we plan to invite modern-day craftsmen who practice olden-day techniques, and to pair each with an archaeologist who will discuss how the technology depicted relates to the field of archaeology. We hope our modern craftsmen will include flintknappers, potters, basket makers, and weavers, who can bring the ways of the past to life.

Stay tuned to this website for details, so you can mark your calendar!