May 23 was a great Archaeology Identification Day in Augusta. Rain threatened all day long but in the end, there were 160 visitors who came to the 1797 Ezekiel Harris House on Broad Street. Roughly 15 people brought in artifacts to identify and several AAS members brought in frames of artifacts for display.

Archaeologists with expertise spanning the Paleo-Indian through Historic periods were on hand to identify and classify artifacts and artifact collections. Several Paleo-Indian and Dalton period projectile points were formally recorded. Artifacts from local sites were on display.

Atlatl throwing went on for most of the day, and the flint-knappers thoroughly enjoyed working with each other, comparing notes and ideas while entertaining the public. Visitors got to see educational displays by the Savannah River Site Archaeological Research Team and the Cultural Research project at Fort Gordon.

In other news, Danny Greenway, John Arena, David Black, Bobby Strange and John Whatley met with Smithsonian archaeologist Dennis Stanford and Dr. Al Goodyear’s group at the Clariant Chemical Company picnic area on Saturday May 31. Clovis and pre-Clovis sites and artifacts were discussed and Dr. Stanford looked at a lot of material from local Georgia collections. The possibility that some artifacts could point to a European Solutrean connection was discussed. On Monday evening June 1, Dr. Stanford gave a more formal presentation covering his theory of a Solutrean migration to eastern North America. This program covered a number of pre-Clovis sites in eastern North America including dates and photos of artifacts. Of particular interest was a large bi-point blade dredged off the Virginia coast associated with mastodon remains dated to over 22,000 years before present. Danny Greenway, Emory Fennell, Bobby Strange and John Whatley attended this session.

The AAS continues to help the Archaeological Conservancy with checking on the Stallings Island status in order to do what we can to help with the care and preservation. Diane Black and John and Andrea Whatley met with Mark Michael, Conservancy President from Albuquerque, and Jessica Crawford, Southeast Regional Director on April 22. At that point it appeared that all the goats placed on the island to browse off vegetation had been killed by predators. A later visit by Jessica Crawford and George Lowery during which they laid down more barbed wire on the bottom of the fence turned up two surviving goats. We plan to manage herbicide spraying and support the Conservancy in their future plans.

Speaking of goats, John Whatley and Bobby Strange worked with local collectors identifying artifacts at the Goat-A-Rama in Tennille April 11. Rosanne Stutts sent electronic copies of our Central Savannah River Area hafted bi-face guide to collectors contacted at this event. Contacts from the Goat-A-Rama led to a follow up with collectors on May 9 at the home of Charles Denton in Deepstep, GA. We were joined that day by archaeologist Jerald Ledbetter and primitive skills technologist Scott Jones. John Whatley worked with the Ocmulgee Archaeological Society at an artifact identification day in Gordon on April 18.

University of South Carolina archaeologist Adam King spoke to our group at our April 17 meeting concerning remote sensing at Etowah and Macon Plateau. The mapping results shown from the remote sensing data at Etowah were truly amazing. At the meeting that evening, copies of Jerald Ledbetter’s 1995 report on the Mill Branch site in Warren County, were distributed, courtesy of Virginia Horak of the Park Service’s Southeast Archaeological Center in Tallahassee.

Our next scheduled meeting will be Friday evening August 21 at Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Q, 2821 Washington Road in Augusta. Our speaker will be Augusta historian and Director of the Center for Georgia History Study at Augusta State University, Lee Ann Caldwell.

The OAS has had some great speakers of late. Jack Wynn spoke in August on the fascinating topic of South American Peruvian archaeology. OAS member Dick Brunelle, who is involved in several SGA chapters around the state, spoke in September about his volunteer experiences in archaeology from projects as different as Fort Daniel in Gwinnett County, the search for the Spanish mission in Telfair County, to the Kolomoki site in Early County. In November, Don Gordy and Terry Jackson gave a PowerPoint presentation entitled “Archaeology at the Singer-Moye Mound Site, 9Sw2, 1967–2008: A Retrospective Summary,” which was an informative talk about the numerous excavations that have been performed at this important mound site and what it all means. The October meeting was a round table discussion of site and cemetery preservation in Middle Georgia. The society has no meeting in December, but has a Christmas party instead on December 17.

In addition to these monthly meetings, the OAS co-sponsored four Artifact Identification Days throughout Middle Georgia since August, including events in Gordon (Wilkinson County), Forsyth (Monroe County), Indian Springs (aka Seven Islands ID Day in Butts County), and Old Clinton (Jones County). Partners included the Wilkinson, Monroe, Butts, and Old Clinton historical societies. A great debt of thanks is also owed to John Whatley, Lloyd Schroder, and Sam Lawson for being pillars of this outreach; OAS members Dr. Bob Cramer, Teddy Howard, David Mincey, John Trussell, and Stephen Hammack have also volunteered their time and expertise at these events. Continuing to educate the public about archaeology is the primary goal of the OAS, so these events are wonderful opportunities to learn what is being found by collectors, to offer to go with them to record their sites, and to tell them about Georgia’s artifact collecting laws. Additionally, the OAS continues to actively participate in the Georgia Paleoindian Recordation Project, a program in which all points from Clovis to Dalton are measured, described, and photographed for submission to database coordinator Jerald Ledbetter.

The OAS has several irons in the fire involving field work on sites in Butts, Houston, and Monroe counties, all with the active involvement and encouragement of the respective landowners. The society also re-elected its 2008 slate of officers for 2009. President David Mincey, Vice-President Teddy Howard, Secretary Stephen Hammack, and Treasurer John Trussell will all be returning for another year. The group continues to meet in Macon the first Monday of each month at Mercer University’s Science and Engineering Building in Room 143 at 6:30 PM. Finally, the OAS would like to bid a fond, but sad, farewell to two faithful members, Rick and Lynn Day, who are returning home to Oklahoma after several years of working at Robins AFB. They have both been stalwarts of the OAS’s Maritime Archaeology efforts in the Ocmulgee River, and Rick also served as the first OAS Webmaster. Rick and Lynn—God speed in your new endeavors!

As usual, the Augusta Archaeological Society members have been involved in a number of activities related to archaeology and history. John Arena and John Whatley worked with the Ocmulgee Archaeological Society on an artifact identification day at the Old Capitol Museum in Milledgeville July 12. Following this, John Arena worked with Megan O’Neil regarding the identification and reorganization of a couple of the lithic displays in the museum. Also in the realm of public archaeology, John Whatley worked with Pam Johnson and Chris Moore (of the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program) handing out literature and talking archaeology at the Georgia on My Mind Program, July 18 at the Georgia I-20 welcome station coming in from South Carolina. In support of our stewardship mission, John Arena followed up with the Archaeological Conservancy concerning monitoring of the Stallings Island site with our thoughts and recommendations about the goats the Conservancy has placed on the island.

Several members have traveled to sites and events near and far. John Arena and John Whatley visited an R.S. Webb & Associates project at the Pig Pen site on the Augusta Canal led by archaeologists Beth Gantt and Ken Styer. Tammy Herron and family visited Petersburg, Fredericksburg, Richmond, Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown, Virginia while on vacation, including visits with archaeologists conducting excavations at Williamsburg and Jamestown. Rob Moon was one of the speakers at the Augusta Genealogical Society’s 29th Annual AGS Homecoming Weekend held August 16th at Augusta State University. Rob presented a general overview of archaeology and the mission of the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program. And, of course, Tammy Herron attended the SGA Board meeting on August 16th.

Our August 14th meeting featured a presentation by Savannah River Archaeological Research Program Archaeologist Chris Moore. Chris’ program involved his dissertation work at East Carolina University entitled “Geoarchaeological Investigations of Stratified Archaic and Woodland Sites along the Tar River in North Carolina.” Details included survey and testing intended to identify the geologic context for site burial and stratification through wind-blown processes. Analysis included radiocarbon
and luminescence (OSL) dating. Conclusions included specific climate change concepts and the identification of associated projectile point types.

Dr. Al Goodyear from the University of South Carolina is scheduled to speak at our October 9th meeting.

The Augusta Archaeological Society (AAS) has recently gained a few members—YEAH!!! We continue to meet every other month at Famous Dave’s, a barbeque restaurant located at 2821 Washington Road in Augusta, Georgia. Chapter members remain active with a list of our activities included below. John Whatley worked with Lloyd Schroder at an Artifact Identification Day held at the Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site on April 12th.

Vivian McDiarmid mans AAS exhibit at Regal Cinemas Exchange 20.

Tammy Herron set up an SGA exhibit at “Georgia On My Mind Day” on April 17th at the Sylvania Visitor Center along Hwy. 301 in Screven County. Visitors had an opportunity to read about the various objectives of SGA and activities that members are involved in around the state via the display board. A number of students enjoyed making pottery designs in clay and using the sorting game to sort artifacts into categories (see photos). Various handouts and brochures were available as well, including the SGA brochure and crossword and find-a-word puzzles for the kids using archaeological terms. Tammy just had to ask the students and teachers with the cool “SGA” T-shirts to pose for a photo in front of the SGA exhibit. Their SGA stands for Sardis-Girard-Alexander Elementary School located in Burke County, Georgia. Although the staff of the Visitor Center did not have an exact head count for the number of visitors during the day, they stated that they usually expect 500-600 people to attend. Members plan to attend “Georgia On My Mind Day” at the Augusta Visitor Center along I-20 scheduled for July 18th.

The Society’s April meeting was held on the 17th at Famous Dave’s. Our speaker for the evening was Dr. Mark R. Barnes, a Senior Archaeologist based in Atlanta with the Cultural Resources Division of the Southeast Regional Office of the National Park Service. Dr. Barnes gave a general overview of the Paleoindian period and the current status of Paleoindian archaeology, as well as detailing various recent discoveries. Diane Black, Tammy Herron, and John Whatley assisted members of the Beech Island Historical Society with the 2nd Annual Beech Island Tour of Historic Homes and Sites on April 19th. The trio was stationed at the Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary.

Tammy Herron, Chris Murphy, Keith Stephenson, and John Whatley attended the annual Spring Meeting of the SGA held on April 26th at the Fernbank Museum in Atlanta. Each chapter was encouraged to bring a display so that the meeting attendees could view them during breaks throughout the day and perhaps promote interest in non-members to join the Society. Chapter member Rosanne Stutts crafted an informative tri-fold display detailing information about the history and activities of the AAS.

Over a dozen chapter members participated in a field trip to visit Kenny Jarrett’s museum in Jackson, South Carolina on May 12th. Mr. Jarrett has a very interesting display of War Between the States artifacts and locally collected Native American artifacts.

John Whatley worked with members of the Ocmulgee Archaeological Society at an Artifact Identification Day held at Fort Hawkins in Macon on May 17th.

Vivian McDiarmid worked with staff members from the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program (SRARP) on May 24th at the Regal Cinemas Augusta Exchange 20. The SRARP had an exhibit in the lobby of the theater to educate the new Indiana Jones movie entitled Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Aside from assisting SRARP staff, Vivian handed out fliers advertising Artifact Identification Day to be held at the historic Ezekiel Harris House, an event cosponsored by the AAS.

Artifact Identification Day pottery stamping activity.

Despite the soaring temperatures, our annual Artifact Identification Day co-sponsored by the Augusta Museum of History and the Ezekiel Harris House was a success with over 100 visitors braving the heat and humidity (see photo at left). The event was held on June 7th at the historic Ezekiel Harris House (ca. 1797) located along Broad Street overlooking the Augusta Canal. Participating archaeologists included Pam Johnson with Georgia Department of Transportation, Renee Lewis with Fort Gordon, and Tammy Herron, Rob Moon, and George Wingard of the SRARP along with Field Technicians Maggie Needham and Megan Taylor. Flint knappers and primitive skills demonstrators included Donnie Collins and Clint Hutcheson from Stillmore, Georgia, and Bob Hill from Washington, Georgia. Danny Greenway, Lloyd Schroeder, and John Whatley fielded numerous questions regarding projectile points collected in the local area and elsewhere in Georgia and South Carolina. Danny Greenway and Emory Fennell exhibited projectile point displays from their private collections throughout the day. Tammy Herron also brought along the SGA display board, brochures, and activities for the children. Charles and Vivian McDiarmid provided hotdogs and cold drinks to the participants for lunch. Good publicity played an important role in the success of this year’s event, especially through avenues connected with the Augusta Museum of History and by Ben Baughman, Curator of the Ezekiel Harris House. Chapter members Vivian McDiarmid and John Whatley made several contacts in the Augusta area prior to the event, and colorful fliers prepared by the museum helped to boost public awareness of and spark interest in the event. A reporter from The Augusta Chronicle visited the event and wrote an article that was printed in the June 8th edition of the paper.

On June 10th, Tammy Herron attended the Archaeology Month 2008 Proclamation signing by Governor Sonny Perdue at the Georgia State Capitol. Diane Black and John & Andrea Whatley recently traveled to Natchez, Mississippi. While Andrea and Diane enjoyed an interesting and informative tour called the Natchez Pilgrimage, John visited the Historic Natchez Village and the Emerald Mound. Danny Greenway continues to work with Jerald Ledbetter on the Georgia Paleo projectile point survey and with Dr. Al Goodyear by providing site information and Clovis point data. Jill Nazarete continues her volunteer work with the SRARP. Leon Perry worked with Dr. Al Goodyear for a week at the Topper site in Allendale County. Finally, members will be assisting Beth Gantt of R.S. Webb and Associates, Inc. of Holly Springs as work progresses during excavations along the Augusta Canal.

Our group has been contacted by the Archaeological Conservancy regarding the opportunity to serve as site stewards for Stallings Island, a National Landmark located in the Savannah River just a few miles upstream from the downtown Augusta. Members will be honored to assist in protecting this important archaeological site and await final details regarding the agreement.

The OAS continues has continued its work throughout Middle Georgia this fall, and has quite a few interesting activities to report.

Mark Barnes, recently retired National Park Service Archaeologist, gave the OAS a great talk on the old and new theories about Clovis and pre-Clovis sites on November 5, particularly relating to the Borax Lake site in California, the Hester site in Mississippi, and the Hardaway site in North Carolina, and expressed an interest in returning to give a talk on the Spanish mission period in the Southeast, another area of his expertise. Mr. Barnes is also willing to give talks to other SGA chapters. Other recent speakers have included Marty Willett, Chairman of the Fort Hawkins Commission, who spoke on the commission’s plans for the fort’s future, and Dan Elliott, President of the LAMAR Institute, who spoke on his recent findings and theories regarding Fort Hawkins archaeology.

Two OAS members, David Mincey and Stephen Hammack, attended Dr. Al Goodyear’s wonderful Clovis and pre-Clovis talk about the Topper site, which he gave to our sister organization, the Augusta Archaeological Society (AAS) in October.

Stephen Hammack attended the SHPO conference “Eternal Places: Discovering Georgia’s Historic Cemeteries,” and learned a great deal about Cemetery Preservation Plans, cemeteries and Georgia law, and several other topics that will be beneficial to the OAS as it continues to record cemetery sites and to work with historical organizations to document and delineate historic cemeteries. In fact, the Warner Robins Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp has asked that the OAS assist in delineating and mapping the Lt. James T. Woodward gravesite/cemetery, which is under threat from development all around it. This project will be done this winter.

In October, OAS members recorded several sites where Jones County landowner Jennifer O’Kelly has been finding artifact concentrations. These sites include a Clovis point site, a Dalton site that also has other Archaic material, a moonshine still site, a historic house site, a historic cemetery site, a large multi-component site dominated by Late Archaic material, and site where only lithic debris has so far been found.

Landowner Tony Pierce, from the same county, reported that he thought his artifact collection contained some Ocmulgee Fields pottery, indicative of the Creek towns along the Ocmulgee from 1685-1716. As the relocation of these towns is a new OAS initiative, Dr. Bob Cramer and Stephen Hammack visited to peruse the collection. It did indeed include Creek pottery, and a return visit will be necessary to record the site it came from. The collection also includes a great amount of the same pottery from the Mile Track site in Bibb County, as well as a Dalton point, Early, Middle and Late Archaic points, some Woodland points, and a few sherds of Lamar pottery from various sites around Middle Georgia. Also of note was a pipe stem fragment from Sonova Beach, across the Ocmulgee River from the new Waterworks Park, that has a 7/64th bore indicating a date range of 1650-1710.

Lloyd Schroder assisting the public at Seven Islands Artifact ID Day.

The OAS has sponsored 3 Artifact Identification (ID) days this fall, including:

• Seven Islands Artifact ID Day held in Indian Springs at the William McIntosh house on October 27, 2007. This event was a tremendous success and was held in conjunction with the Butts County Historical Society (BCHS), which marketed the event in Atlanta and Middle Georgia. A whopping 175 people brought items to be identified—so many that numbers had to be given out and people had to wait until their names were called! Lloyd Shroder (see photo at right), John Whatley, David Mincey, and Stephen Hammack were on hand to assist the public. Artifacts identified were from both the prehistoric and historic eras and included an unfinished Clovis point, a Suwannee/Simpson projectile point/ knife (see photo below), and two Daltons (all of which were recorded for the Georgia Paleoindian Recordation Project); many Early Archaic crystal quartz points; a fair number of quartz Morrow Mountain points; great numbers of Late Archaic points; some Woodland and Mississippian material; and historic ceramics, spikes, and nails. One gentleman with a large collection of Early Archaic points from a single site on his property attended UGA and took an archaeology course in the 1950s with Dr. A.R. Kelly! It was fascinating to talk to him about his experiences digging on different sites with Kelly and Joseph Caldwell. Another local landowner invited the OAS to visit his family farm and visit what may be the first site that was recorded in Butts County— a project that is now planned for January when deer season is over. Special thanks goes to W.J. Shannon of the BCHS, who organized the event and made it so successful!

• Warner Robins Artifact ID Day held on November 8, 2007, as part of Native American Heritage Observance (NAHO) month. OAS members David Mincey and Stephen Hammack assisted the public. Folks brought in collections from Middle Georgia and from as far away as the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Artifacts included two Clovis points, one Dalton point, Early, Middle, and Late Archaic material, and a small amount of Woodland and Mississippian material. The gentleman from New York shared some pieces from his collection, which was begun by his grandfather and father and includes material from the Lamoka Lake site and many others. He also shared his father’s notebooks, which preserve in great detail the locations of sites and what was found there. Some of the material is on loan to a local New York historical society museum. It is hoped that the three Paleo points, all from Georgia sites, can be recorded at a future date, as the owners said they would contact the OAS for this to be done. Other NAHO events included a luncheon, American Indian dancing and musical performances, primitive skills demonstrations by the talented Scott Jones, free roasted corn, and three talks by the base archaeologist—two at Macon’s Museum of Arts and Sciences and one before the Old Clinton Historical Society. Special thanks go to the Robins NAHO committee for making these events possible.

• Jones County Artifact ID Day, held in conjunction with the Old Clinton Historical Society (OCHS) on November 17, 2007. AAS member John Whatley and OAS members David Mincey, John Trussell, and Stephen Hammack assisted the public, and recorded one Dalton projectile point/knife and made plans to record about 15 more, all from Jones County. Other artifacts included Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian material, and several historic artifacts including a Union officer’s sword, and a token with Arabic writing on one side and possibly Chinese writing on the other that has a square hole through the center and probably dates to the early 20th century. But the most fascinating artifact, if it turns out to be authentic, was a small item carved from a rock with the consistency of soapstone. This artifact came from a field near the Savannah River in Effingham County, and depicts what appears to be a dead Indian with clothes and a haircut from the Spanish Mission era whose sarcophagus is decorated with many native plants and animals (see photos below). It could date as early as the sixteenth century and as late as the late seventeenth century, if it is not modern. Special thanks go to SGA and OCHS member Carol Krom for making this event possible and for showing OAS members and their families around her family farm and feeding us afterwards!

The OAS continues to meet the first Monday of each month at 6:30 PM in Room 143 of Mercer University’s Science and Engineering Building. Please come and visit!

The photos below are various views of an unusual artifact brought to the Jones County Artifact ID Day.