Submitted by Catherine Long (sgapresident@thesga.org)
We hope you were able to join SGA at the Spring Meeting in May and if you didn’t, you missed a morning of great presentations and a delightful visit to Fort Daniel, complemented by Abby the ArchaeoBus. Thank you all who attended and for those who made this meeting such a success (especially the efforts of The Fort Daniel Foundation and the Gwinnett Archaeological Research Society)!
I had the opportunity to attend a field trip organized by longtime Greater Atlanta Archaeological Society (GAAS) member Allen Vegotsky. He arranged the outstanding trip to Lumpkin, Georgia and the group was cordially welcomed by local members of the Stewart County Historical Commission. Participants enjoyed a guided tour of the Bedingfield Inn, a Greek Revival style home built in 1836. Multiple rooms allowed the building to provide hospitality to travelers along the stagecoach trail. The day’s activities included a tour of the Drugstore Museum led by the man himself, Dr. Samuel Pope Callaway Hatchett. Over 5000 artifacts were preserved by the family and the family history of this important pharmacy has been preserved in a local building in Lumpkin.
After a delicious lunch of chicken salad, fruit and dessert the group caravanned to the Singer–Moye site to visit Stephan Brannan and the University of Georgia field school. It was an excellent opportunity to catch up on the ongoing research at this site. The research continues to understand the community and culture of this important site. We appreciate your time for the tour on this hot day! Thank you to Allen and the Stewart County Historical Commission for sharing your county’s rich history—what a great chance to see the preservation efforts across the state.
SGA is gearing up for its August Board Meeting in south Georgia and the Board Members look forward to the opportunity to attend the 2012 Symposium on Southeastern Coastal Plain Archaeology. We hope that you and your colleagues will attend this event on Saturday, August 18. It is organized by SOGART (South Georgia Archaeological Research Team), one of SGA’s local chapters. For more details on the meeting please see the announcement on the website.
Plans for the upcoming Fall Meeting are underway—please check back on the website for a Save the Date as the arrangements are finalized. Remember this meeting is a general session of papers so we look forward to learning more about the interesting research in Georgia and nearby states. October is a busy month for SGA with the attendance of the ArchaeoBus at the annual CoastFest event. If you are in the area, we invite you to support the event by coming to assist in this public outreach opportunity. Each year the attendance grows (9000+) and provides a chance for families and others to learn more about Georgia’s rich heritage.
On behalf of SGA, we appreciate your continued support of the organization and hope to see you at the upcoming events. Have an enjoyable and safe summer!
—Catherine Long, President, the Society for Georgia Archaeology
Editor’s Note: Remember—elections are coming up this fall; please let President Long know if you want to be considered for a Board or Officer position.
Posted online on Thursday, July 12th, 2012