Submitted by Catherine Long, President, the SGA (diggergirl77@gmail.com)

The annual SGA Spring Meeting was held on Saturday, May 19th, at the Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville. As a co-sponsor of the meeting, SGA members and attendees were welcomed to the state-of-the art campus with beautiful signs and hospitable staff. The LVIS Room in the Student Center was the venue of the morning and was an ideal location to highlight the organization’s activities and catch up with colleagues and new friends over delicious refreshments. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the research related to the War of 1812.

The day began with a presentation by North Georgia College students’ research at the Duckett Site and took a closer look at what ethnobotanical items can tell about the potential diet of people who inhabited this site. Students had a great learning experience under Dr. Jack Wynn’s direction, and it is exciting to see their work.

The next presentation examined the location of several period forts near the Ocmulgee area and showed how the Ocmulgee Archaeological Society (a local chapter of SGA) remain actively engaged in archaeological research across the state. With the collaborative efforts of archaeologists, landowners and other interested volunteers it is an example of how important these relationships are to archaeology.

The history and archaeological study of the Point Peter site was quite fascinating. Archaeological excavations and historical research led to the confirmation of the site and a better understanding of the lives of the soldiers. There is an exhibit entitled “Forgotten Invasion” at the National Park Service Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum in St. Mary’s that highlights this important project.

Dan Elliott provided a perspective on the War of 1812 and the related sites within Georgia. During his research he has learned about the different people represented in the archaeological record and how additional study is needed to learn about these sites and preserve them.

The session also featured a presentation on the Veterans Curation Project that provides job training for veterans and they have the opportunity to learn about what happens after the archaeologist completes fieldwork. This program is run through the Army Corps of Engineers and has other locations in St. Louis and Alexandria.

The morning session concluded with the SGA Business Meeting in which the participants were able to learn more about the mission and vision of the Society as well as its current healthy status. The organization is comprised of various committees that work to accomplish the goals of public outreach, study and preservation of Georgia’s archaeological sites. Through pictures and impressive numbers the message was delivered that SGA is a thriving organization due to the commitment of its volunteers. The public outreach efforts led by the ArchaeoBus, annual Archaeology Awareness (Archaeology Month), Coastfest and the Georgia National Fair have served many audiences across the state. SGA’s engaging and dynamic website receives a steady flow of visitors and the Facebook presence will continue to grow. Contributions to the website and the SGA’s scholarly publication Early Georgia are constantly needed to maintain the growth of the organization. The audience was invited to consider making a volunteer contribution to the organization so that it may continue its goals.

Participants grabbed a quick lunch and the headed to the Fort Daniel archaeological site to examine local research up close and personal.

The day was highlighted with the attendance of Abby, the ArchaeoBus and tours of the site by Lead Archaeologist Dr. Jim D’Angelo. Members from the Fort Daniel Foundation and the local SGA Chapter GARS (Gwinnett Archaeological Research Society) hosted visitors from the meeting and the local educational community and other participants. The busy day was considered a great success due to the lovely weather, meeting space and number of participants.

On behalf of SGA we hope you enjoyed the day’s activities and hope you will stay abreast of the upcoming local chapter meetings, news and Fall Meeting in the coming months.

Thank you for your continued support of the Society for Georgia Archaeology. We hope to see or hear from you soon!

Posted online on Friday, June 22nd, 2012