Submitted by Tammy Herron, President
The changing of the seasons is in the air, and so is the changing of the guard for the SGA! New officers for the organization will be elected at the upcoming board meeting on Friday, October 17, 2014. I hope that you all took advantage of the opportunity to submit your ballots for the new board members. I am certain that this group of individuals will bring new ideas, talents, and opinions to the table as they strive to move the SGA forward. It is hard to believe that my term as President is almost over, and that I will soon be handing the gavel over. I thank you for the opportunity to serve the organization in this capacity, and I look forward to seeing you soon at the Fall Meeting of the SGA.
Speaking of the Fall Meeting—the meeting will take place on Saturday, October 18, 2014 in Statesboro, Georgia on the campus of my alma mater, Georgia Southern University. I am looking forward to returning to the ‘Boro and seeing the advancements made in the archaeology lab since my time as a student there (we won’t say how many years ago). Registration for the Fall Meeting will take place from 8:00-8:30 a.m. on the second floor of the Carroll Building at Georgia Southern, and fees will be $10 for members, $15 for non-members, and $5 for students. Parking is available in several areas. Click here for an interactive map of the campus and the meeting schedule.
We have a great lineup of presentations focusing on research at Camp Lawton scheduled for the first morning session. During a break between sessions, an open house of the archaeology lab at the university will be hosted for meeting attendees. Artifacts from various projects will be on display, and tours of the 3-D scanning and printing lab will also be offered. The second session will focus on research at several sites located along the Savannah River, including the G. S. Lewis Site, Hollywood, and Whites Mound. The SGA Business Meeting will be conducted following the close of the presentations. I look forward to hearing the reports of the Chapter Presidents or their representatives. Through the wonderful information in your Chapter newsletters, I know that many of you have been busy carrying out the vision and mission of the SGA. We will also be presenting a Student Research Grant during the meeting. This grant was established in order to encourage the study and preservation of Georgia’s cultural heritage and to encourage the study of such by new generations of potential scholars.
After enjoying lunch on your own, attendees are invited to regroup at the site of Camp Lawton situated on the grounds of Magnolia Springs State Park near Millen, Georgia. We will visit the new Camp Lawton Discovery Center and receive a behind-the-scenes tour. Georgia Southern University has been conducting archaeological research at Camp Lawton since 2009. This Confederate stockade-style prison was constructed during the late summer and early fall of 1864 to relieve the overcrowded conditions at the infamous Andersonville prison (Camp Sumter). A tour of this site will be a unique way to commemorate the sesquicentennial anniversary of this site and the Civil War—one of the most defining events in the history of North America.
Due to a scheduling conflict, I was unable to attend the 2014 Symposium on Southeastern Coastal Plain Archaeology sponsored by SOGART. The event was held on August 23rd on the Douglas Campus of South Georgia State College. I have heard from several attendees that the papers presented were very interesting and informative. Congratulations to the members of SOGART for hosting another successful symposium, and to Dwight Kirkland who organized the meeting!
Congratulations also to the members of the Fort Daniel Foundation for recently being awarded the Albert B. Corey Leadership in History Award of Merit for their volunteer preservation efforts. According to the website of the American Association for State and Local History, this award “recognizes primarily volunteer-operated historical organizations that best display the qualities of vigor, scholarship, and imagination in their work.” The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners honored the group for their achievement during the commission meeting on September 16th. Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash presented a Proclamation of Appreciation to representatives from the group, including Foundation President Dr. James D’Angelo, his wife Natalia D’Angelo, Treasurer Betty Warbington, and Board Members Catherine Long and Chuck Warbington. Members of the Gwinnett Archaeological Research Society (GARS) have been conducting investigations at the Fort Daniel site since the Summer of 2007.
One of the largest events that the SGA participates in is CoastFest—a fun-filled, educational event featuring over 70 exhibitors striving to educate the public about the environment and Georgia history. This year’s event was held on Saturday, October 4th on the grounds of the Georgia DNR Coastal Regional Headquarters at the base of the Sidney Lanier Bridge in Brunswick. CoastFest celebrated its 20th anniversary on a grand scale with a final visitor count of 9,495. Abby the ArchaeoBus made the journey from Stone Mountain through the pouring rain all day Friday to greet the masses eager to learn about Georgia archaeology on Saturday! She sustained a minor injury in heavy wind gusts and almost lost an A/C cover on the interstate, but Brad Amerson of GA-DNR was able to patch her up late Saturday afternoon so that she could make the trek to Rincon, Georgia the next day. Thanks Brad!
Special thanks are extended to the following individuals for volunteering their time and talents to the SGA to make the Society’s appearance at the event possible: Nick Joseph of New South Associates (NSA) for working CoastFest into Abby’s schedule and making sure that her handlers could attend the event; Jamice Meschke for recruiting volunteers from the Golden Isles Chapter; Lisa Powell for recruiting volunteers from the Armstrong Atlantic State University Anthropology Club; Luke Echols and Lauren Walls of NSA for traveling with Abby to the event and manning her throughout the day; and Billy Bice, John Brannen, Jack Caldwell, Mac Carlton, Mary Jo Davis, and Evelyn Shealy for assisting with the SGA booth. Many, many thanks are extended to Dan and Rita Elliott for their assistance throughout the day, and to Rita for rounding up volunteers for the event as well. I can’t thank them enough for their continued support of the SGA and Abby! We would also like to thank CoastFest Coordinator Nancy Butler for her assistance during the registration process and throughout the day of the event. Abby loved the new spot that she was assigned near the entrance to the event and a power pole from which to stream energy. We had great weather (though a little windy) for the event and hope that we imparted some degree of lasting knowledge about Georgia archaeology and site preservation to our many visitors. CoastFest is an awesome educational event, and volunteers are always needed. This annual event is held on the first Saturday in October, so plan ahead to assist next year! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Tammy Herron or Rita Elliot for more information.
Based on the events listed in your Chapter newsletters, some of you have a busy fall season ahead. Before your travels, check with some of the other Chapters around the state to see if they are hosting an event that you might be interested in attending while you are in their area. As the temperatures have begun to cool down, consider organizing a field trip to an archaeology site for your Chapter or perhaps join with another Chapter to do the same. This would be a great way to meet new archaeology-minded friends, as well as to renew old friendships. Consider submitting an article for the website if you visit an archaeological site on your travels throughout Georgia this fall! Chapters, please remember to submit information about your meeting dates and activities, too. We are always seeking submissions for The Profile, as well as articles for Early Georgia. I hope that you have a wonderful fall and enjoy the many cultural wonders that Georgia has to offer while traveling the highways and byways of the state. Thank you again for allowing me to serve as President of the organization for the past two years. It has truly been an honor.
Posted online on Wednesday, October 15th, 2014