The Gateway to the Past: Georgia’s Leake Site exhibition is now open and will be on display through Sunday, September 23, 2012 at the Columbus Museum, on Wynnton Road east of downtown Columbus. Admission is free. This exhibition is guest curated by the Antonio J. Waring, Jr. Archaeological Laboratory of the University of West Georgia.
Georgia’s Leake archaeological site is strategically located near four river valleys. This strategic location was a “gateway” between Southeastern and Midwestern North America For American Indians from 300 BC until 650 AD. This community served as a pilgrimage center, a staging ground for journeys, a residential village, and a ceremonial center. The town also figured prominently in the trade and communication networks of the time, with trails and rivers providing easy access to the Gulf Coast and the Midwest.
Using excavated artifacts from the Leake site and the Columbus Museum’s collection of Chattahoochee Valley objects, this history exhibition shows visitors what life was like for prehistoric American Indians in the Southeast at an important regional population center. Featured artifacts include Swift Creek stamped pottery, Flint Ridge chert from Ohio, and animal and human figurines made of clay, copper, mica, and other natural materials.
The exhibition also includes interactive audio/visual tour components. Visitors will be able to watch interviews with Dean Wood, one of the principal archaeologists for the Leake site, as he discusses the significance of the community and give insights into the American Indians who lived there. Also, visitors can scan QR codes with their smartphones to view bonus video clips from the interview with Dean Wood. All of the videos included in the exhibition are accessible through the Columbus Museum’s YouTube channel.
For more information about the Columbus Museum or The Gateway to the Past: Georgia’s Leake Site exhibition and the educational programming associated with the exhibition, please visit the Columbus Museum online here. Read more about the Leake site on this website by clicking here.
Where to find it
Click above to go to a larger Google interactive map of the area.
Posted online on Thursday, April 12th, 2012