N U M B E R 1 4 5 • S U M M E R 2 0 1 0 I S S U E

These stories and articles were originally posted online on the SGA's website, and are presentedin their complete form there, at http://thesga.org. To make this printable PDF version, somephotographs and graphic elements have been removed.

2010 ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH • 2010 SPRING

Archaeology Month 2010 RecapSubmitted by Tammy F. Herron (TRFOREHA@mailbox.sc.edu)

The Society for Georgia Archaeology’s seventeenth annual Georgia Archaeology Awareness promotion, Archaeology Month 2010,had as its theme Making the Past Come to Life: Exploring Ancient Techniques. Our request for a proclamation designatingMay as Georgia Archaeology Month was received and acknowledged by the Governor’s office. Several past and present SGA boardmembers and representatives from Georgia’s archaeological community attended the proclamation signing by Governor SonnyPerdue on May 25th at the capitol. Pictured with the Governor left to right: Mike Hunt and Brandon Batt representing Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc., Pamela Baughman of the Georgia Department of Transportation, Elizabeth Shirk of the DNR – HistoricPreservation Division, Tammy Herron representing the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program, State Archaeologist Dr.David C. Crass of the DNR – Historic Preservation Division, and Sudha A. Shah representing Brockington and Associates.

Governor Perdue signs the 2010 Archaeology Month proclamation. (Photo credit: Charlie Miller, HistoricPreservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources.)

This annual promotion would not be possible without theassistance received from co-sponsors and event sponsorswhich allows us to offer this program to the public, therebyreaching thousands throughout the state. Our goal of raisingpublic awareness of the importance of our state’s

2010 Archaeology Month proclamation. Click here toview/download a larger, readable version of theproclamation.

archaeological resources was met through the distribution of2000 posters, an associated lesson plan, and the education ofthose attending archaeology month events scheduledthroughout the state in celebration of Georgia’s richarchaeological heritage. These events included archaeologicalexhibits, artifact identification days, archaeology lab openhouses, lectures, public archaeology days, children’s stories,and crafts. For the second year in a row, the events brochureand lesson plan were placed on-line in an effort to save onprinting and mailing costs, as well as hoping to reach morepeople through the worldwide web. Posters were distributedto 8th-grade social studies teachers in the public schools,archaeology month co-sponsors, event sponsors, and SGAchapters in late April. We have already received positivecomments regarding our lesson plan entitled “LearningThrough Archaeology: Exploring Ancient Techniques.”

Packaging day was held on April 26th at the FernbankMuseum of Natural History. Volunteers logged approximately50 hours throughout the course of the day as a result of setup, collating, tube stuffing, box filling, mail runs, and cleanup. Dennis Blanton, Beth Gantt, Tammy Herron, KateJackson, David Kasriel, Lyn Kirkland, Catherine Long, KarenOates, Leslie Perry, Dot Rascoe, Armondo Tovar, AllenVegotsky, and Connie White donated their time to this effort.Several these individuals are members of the Greater AtlantaArchaeological Society, and we appreciate their support.

The SGA’s annual gathering for the spring meeting was heldin Albany, Georgia on May 14–16, 2010. The Executive Boardof the Georgia Council of Professional Archaeologists (GCPA)met in the early afternoon of Friday, May 14th, followed bythe general meeting of the GCPA. Later in the afternoon,members of the Executive Board of the Society for GeorgiaArchaeology held their quarterly meeting. Following themeeting, we enjoyed a tasty cookout at the campground of The Parks at Chehaw. The spring meeting, coordinated by Tammy Herronand Brian Floyd, was held on Saturday, May 15th at The Parks at Chehaw near Albany, Georgia. Tom Gresham and Rick and SonjaSellers greeted visitors at the registration table. At this station, attendees could also learn more about the Society, view artifactscommonly found in the Central Savannah River Area, learn about the Stallings culture, and visit with Jim D’Angelo to learn aboutthe Fort Daniel site. SGA members could also pick up the Archaeology Month poster and the current issue of Early Georgia to readthe latest scoop on archaeological projects around the state. Lynn Pietak and Curtis Booney and Ben and Pamela Baughman mannedthe kids’ area and educated the youngsters through hands-on activities such as pottery stamping, vessel mending, and makinggorgets. Special thanks to Dan and Rita Elliott for driving Abby the ArchaeoBus to the event. Visitors of all ages enjoyed taking a tourof Abby. Dan and Rita reported turning a lot of heads as Abby traveled the highways and byways crossing South Georgia—goodpublicity for the SGA and archaeology! Did you know that you can follow Abby through her own personal diary and monitor hertravels around Georgia?

In striving to explore the ancient lifeways of Georgia’s early inhabitants and further apply their expertise to archaeological fieldwork,Brian Floyd coordinated a wealth of knowledge and talent in the demonstrators that he selected to participate in Saturday’s event.His aim was to target the lesser promoted primitive techniques such as basket making, bone tool production, cordage, edible andmedicinal plant use, hide tanning, and so forth—activities that the interested public does not usually get to experience at knap-ins.Brian’s vision was to have the archaeologists and primitive technologists interact throughout the day and examine each station at theend of the day together to concentrate on answering questions often raised as a result of archaeological excavations.

Several demonstrators traveled many miles to share their knowledge, and the Archaeology Month Committee worked tirelessly tomake it a fun and educational event for SGA members and the public alike. Although we did not have the huge crowd that we hadhoped for, the turnout of approximately 100 people still made the event a success. We would like to extend a big thanks to all whohelped make the event possible and to those who came out to join us for their support. Special thanks to Brian for not onlycoordinating the demonstrators, but for participating as a demonstrator as well. In years past, Brian used to observe primitivetechnologists Scott Jones and Ben Kirkland at various events and considers them as great mentors. Brian stated, “I used to watchthem at the Chehaw powwow back in the early 1990s, and it inspired and educated me in the ways of primitive technology. It reallychanged my life when I first met those guys. When I demonstrate I always wonder if any one of the people watching me are gettingthe same inspiration from what I am doing. I hope I am passing on the knowledge and inspiration the same as it was passed to me.”Well Brian, it is our hope that you or perhaps one of the other demonstrators did strike a cord with one of the visitors and perhapsmold his/her future path.

We wish to extend a special thank you to the demonstrators that participated in the event: Nancy Basket: basket making; JackBoedecker: bone tools; Jackie Briggs: weaving; Carl Etheridge: steatite carving; Brian Floyd: edible and medicinal plants, and hide

tanning; Keith Grenoble and Denton Bragg: pottery and Native American cooking; Scott Jones: cordage, stone tool production andhafting, and more; Ben Kirkland: fire-by-friction, flintknapping, atl-atl throwing and more; James Stewart: burn and scrapewoodworking; and Sean Taylor: blow darts, flintknapping, and more.

Two interesting and insightful lectures were presented during the mid-afternoon. President Dennis Blanton presented a paperentitled “Learning the Hard Way: An Experimental Native House Construction at Etowah.” Summarizing an experimentalarchaeology experiment performed by Dwight Kirkland and Brian Floyd, Dwight presented “Charred Flakes: An Experiment toDuplicate Artifacts from a Second Millennium B.C. Fire Hearth.” Thanks so much guys for your willingness to share your research.

Liz Gray, Sales Manager with the Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau, arranged an optional tour highlighting some of theinteresting sites around Albany for the group on Sunday, May 16th. Nine eager tourists met at the historic Bridge House, home ofthe Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau, to begin the tour Sunday morning. Local historian Tommy Gregors led us on aninformative stroll along the scenic river walk on the west bank of the Flint River. Luckily, the mulberries were in season, too, andprovided a bountiful snack along the way. Tommy then led the group on a tour of the Thronateeska Heritage Center which iscomprised of the Heritage Museum, an interactive science discovery center, the state-of-the-art Wetherbee Planetarium, the historicFryer-Merritt House, an 1857 train depot, brick-lined streets dating to 1912, and a model railroad museum.

Group photo at Thronateeska Heritage Center (L to R): Aidine Kiernan, Russ and Whit Perrin Wright,Brian Floyd, Dick Brunelle (in front), Tammy Herron, Pam Baughman, Kevin Kiernan, and BenBaughman.

Following our visit at Thronateeska, we headed back to tour the Bridge House, enjoy lunch, and watch a 12-minute movie aboutAlbany’s history. The Hammack family (4) joined the group, and we were soon headed off on another journey with Liz Gray to tourthe 175,000-gallon, 22-foot-deep, open-air Flint RiverQuarium Blue Hole. Aside from learning about the wide variety of fish,reptiles, and plants that inhabit the Flint River watershed, we also enjoyed trying to find all of the birds represented in the CypressPond Aviary—a recent addition to the Flint RiverQuarium. We also got to see a rare albino alligator that is currently part of atemporary exhibit on loan from the Museum of Florida History called Alligators: Dragons of Paradise.

Our final tourist stop was Radium Springs. Did you know that thisis one of Georgia’s seven wonders? Better yet, can you name theother six? Radium Springs is reportedly the largest natural springin Georgia and flows at an amazing rate of approximately 70,000gallons per minute. The crystal clear blue water is truly beautifuland remains a frigid 68°F year round. I wonder what the NativeAmericans thought about this place. A large casino once graced thebanks above the springs and was the place to be in the early part ofthe twentieth century. This historic structure was destroyed by fireand rebuilt in recent years. However, severe flooding since thattime damaged the building beyond repair such that it had to bedemolished. Currently, Dougherty County is working to establish

Beautiful Radium Springs.

the Radium Springs Botanical Garden at the site and is due to openthe gates in the near future.

Months of planning and hard work by the Archaeology MonthCommittee precedes Archaeology Month each year. The 2010committee members included Tammy Herron, chairman, alongwith Pamela Baughman, Catherine Long, and Brian Floyd. PamelaBaughman coordinated the calendar of events and created the e-brochure that was posted on the website. Tammy Herron createdthe poster and lesson plan, handled meeting arrangements, andcoordinated Sunday’s tour. Catherine Long assisted with the lessonplan, distribution, and coordinating with the Albany Convention &Visitors Bureau. Brian Floyd coordinated the primitivetechnologists for the spring meeting. Publicity was tackled by eachof these members, plus President Dennis Blanton. Special thanks toScott Jones for allowing SGA to use information from his book, AView to the Past: Experience and Experiment in PrimitiveTechnology, to create the poster and lesson plan. We would alsolike to thank Rob Moon for assisting with graphic design andlayout. And last but not least, thanks to Ben Kirkland, NaturalResource Manager at Chehaw, for his assistance in planning andtaking part in the event.

Be sure to join us next year as we commemorate thesesquicentennial anniversary of the War Between the States, and thank you for your continued support of archaeology in Georgia!

ARCHAEOBUS • ARCHAEOBUS NEWS • SGA NOTICES ONLINE

Read the diary of Abby the ArchaeoBus

Read the story of the SGA’s ArchaeoBus, as told by Abby the ArchaeoBus herself. The diary entries that Abby wants to share with theoutside world are published on this website! Abby has kindly included many snapshots to illustrate her diary entries!

Read Abby’s diary here!

2010 ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH • 2010 SPRING • ARCHAEOBUS NEWS • EVENTS INFORMATION • PHOTOGALLERIES

Pictures from Spring 2010 Meeting

The SGA’s 2010 Spring Meeting, held Saturday, May 15th, at The Parks at Chehaw, just outside of Albany, featured demonstratorsknowledgable in the skills of ancient peoples, in accordance with this year’s Archaeology Month theme: Making the Past Come toLife! Exploring Ancient Techniques.

Visitors could also tour the ArchaeoBus!

Click on any picture below to see it larger.

ARCHAEOLOGY 101 • WEEKLY PONDER

Maps and mapping: Georgia’s coast in 1562Submitted by Sammy Smith (sammy@thesga.org)

Portion of the British Library’s copy of the 1562 map by cartographer Diego Gutiérrez and engraverHieronymus Cock. Note in the upper left of this screen grab theword “APALCHEN;” this is a precursor of the word “Appalachia,” still used for this region.

What’s in a map? Have you used overlay capabilities of the free computer program Google Earth? Here we take the section of the1562 Gutiérrez map that spans the coastline of what is now Georgia and map it to today’s coastline to see what we can learn.

First, the map. This version is from the British Library’s online collection (currently, the map’s link is here). As our own Library ofCongress notes,

In 1562 Diego Gutiérrez, a Spanish cartographer…, and Hieronymus Cock, a noted engraver from Antwerp,collaborated in the preparation of a spectacular and ornate map of what was then referred to as the fourth part of theworld, America. It was the largest engraved map of America to that time.

Further, the Library of Congress online notes:

Gutiérrez’s magnificent 1562 map of America was not intended to be a scientifically or navigationally exactingdocument, although it was of large scale and remained the largest map of America for a century. It was, rather, aceremonial map, a diplomatic map, as identified by the coats of arms proclaiming possession. Through the map, Spainproclaimed to the nations of Western Europe its American territory, clearly outlining its sphere of control, not bydegrees, but with the appearance of a very broad line for the Tropic of Cancer clearly drawn on the map.

In our modern world of satellites and lasers, we are accustomed to using maps that more accurately portray the landscape around us—and the ocean floor, the surface of the moon, and more!

Gutiérrez, however, was working with far different data so that his map approximates and estimates what is now Georgia’s coastline.And, since the commission was made more to support territorial claims of the Spanish leadership under King Felipe II (reignedfrom 1556 until his death at age 71 in 1598) than to provide guidance for mariners, the emphasis was not on the accuracy ofGeorgia’s coast.

This orientation of the overlay aligns the stretch of the coastline from the notation “Río de Santa Elena” northeastward to the NorthCarolina’s Outer Banks. This area was chosen because the Florida peninsula is disproportionately wide and the map seems generallyless precise along the Florida coastline than along the Carolinas’. In addition, the Georgia bight is more exaggerated than we know itactually was (the coastline bends westward too much).

“Río de S. Elena” as oriented here lines up with the location of the Spanish settlement called Santa Elena, which was on what wenow call Parris Island. This archaeological site, which includes a French Fort that predates the Spanish occupation, was declared aNational Historic Landmark in January, 2001.

This alignment means that southwest of the “Río de S. Elena” is the notation “R. de tierra llana.” “R.” most likely stands for “Río” orRiver. “Tierra llana” means flat lands, or plains.

So, which river do you think the cartographer is indicating by “River of the Flat Plains”?

We also have demonstrated this Google Earth overlay operation with an 1864 map of downtown Atlanta. Read about that here.

ARCHAEOBUS • ARCHAEOBUS NEWS • SGA NOTICES ONLINE

SEAC’s 2010 Public Outreach Grant announcedThe 2010 SEAC Public Outreach Grant has been awarded to Fort Frederica NationalMonument, St. Simons Island, Georgia, for their project “Digging History” at FortFrederica: Community Archaeology Festival. The festival features SGA’s ArchaeoBus.

SEAC is the Southeastern Archaeological Conference. It was founded in the 1930s tocreate a forum for archaeologists working across the Southeast to get together anddiscuss what they were finding during federally-funded projects.

SEAC has recently announced:

The 2010 SEAC Public Outreach Grant was awarded to Fort Frederica NationalMonument, St. Simons Island, Georgia, for their project “Digging History” at FortFrederica: Community Archaeology Festival.

Fort Frederica National Monument has already been serving over 1,000 4th-gradestudents in an award-winning archeology education program in partnership withthe Glynn County School System and Board of Education. The SEAC PublicOutreach Grant will help fund an expansion of this program into a community archaeology festival to be held in May tocoincide with Georgia Archaeology Awareness Month. In addition to the one-day festival, the Fort will reach out tounder-served audiences by welcoming local after-school programs on the afternoon preceding the festival. The Fort

hopes to make this pilot project into an annual event.

The festival will enable park visitors to interact with the past by engaging in hands-on archaeology discovery stationsto learn about colonial life. The festival will feature interactive archaeology games and activities, displays, an artifactidentification booth, and presentations. The festival will also feature the Society for Georgia Archaeology’s newArchaeoBus. The ArchaeoBus is a restored bookmobile that travels around the state of Georgia to educate students andcommunity groups about the science of archaeology.

The SEAC grant will help pay for supplies and materials to construct the interactive archaeology games and activities,as well as to provide stipends for archaeologists and educators assisting with the event. After the event, the games andactivities will be further used for other park programs and outreach projects.

What great news!

SGA NOTICES ONLINE

SGA Endowment Fund contributorsSubmitted by Rita Elliott (ritafelliott@gmail.com)

Editor’s note: Rita says this list is current as of 20 May 2010.

The following people and organizations have demonstrated their support for the Society for Georgia Archaeology by donating to theSociety’s Endowment Fund. The SGA heartily thanks you for your contributions.

Read all Endowment Fund stories online here.

Make your contribution to the Society’s Endowment Fund by sending your check marked “SGA Endowment” to: SGA Treasurer,P.O. Box 693, Athens, GA 30603. If the contribution is a gift or in honor of someone, please include the honoree’s name andcomplete address with your contribution check. Thank you!

The SGA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your contributions are tax-deductable as allowed by law.

2001

JoLee and Jeff GardnerBob IzlarSteve KowalewskiKay and Dean WoodDan and Rita ElliottBetsy and Michael ShirkStan McAfeeTom GreshamJames Page

2002

Pat Garrow

2003

Allen VegotskyLucy BanksLegacy Research c/o Deborah JoyMarjorie GayRick SellersMarion and Molly RiceBrian and Larissa ThomasTammy ForehandCarol GriffithBill FrazierLewis and Yvonne EwbankTRC Environmental CorporationJim LangfordElizabeth Ansley AllanDavid AllisonJacquelyn C. BakerMary Theresa Bonhage-Freund

Dave and Jeanne CrassSanford M. FitzsimmonsCarolyn RockDiana Popeck

2004

Jack TylerDiane L. WynockerTRCCarleton (Bill) & Beth CrabillConstance WhitePatricia L. (and David) HughesJoel Jones and Kathy MulchroneJohn “Chip” Morgan

2005

Terry HynesMary Beth ReedJim D’AngeloSGA BoardMichael and Betsy Shirk, in honor of K. KilgoreLucy Banks, in honor of K. KilgoreMarjorie Gay, in honor of K. KilgoreCarole GriffithRick Sellers

2006

Chris MurphyCarole GriffithTerraconMr. and Mrs. Carlton Crabill, in honor of Betsy ShirkElizabeth Allan, in honor of Jack KilgoreCatherine LongLewis and Yvonne EubankJeanette (Lucy) Banks, in honor of Donald ReedRita & Dan ElliottAllen VegotskyTammy Herron, in memory of George LewisRick SellersMichael and Betsy Shirk

2007

Carole GriffithRichard SellersBob CramerPamela Johnson, in honor/memory of Richard Johnson

2008

Stan McAfee, on behalf of nephew Corley ThomasRick SellersBulloch Hall Archaeological Society, in memory of Fred SchneiderDan and Rita Elliott, in memory of Raymond DavisDan and Rita Elliott, in memory of Stewart HughesDennis Blanton, in honor of Ft. Peachtree DARJack and Mary Frank WynnWilliam and Kathy CoxLarry Blair, in memory of Fred SchneiderNorthwest Georgia Archaeological Society, in memory of Fred SchneiderJimmy and Ruth Fouche, in memory of Fred SchneiderR.F. (Dick) Brunelle, in memory of Fred SchneiderJack Wynn, in memory of Fred Schneider

James Comer and Rachelle McIntosh, in memory of Fred SchneiderMichael and Betsy Shirk, in memory of Fred SchneiderJennifer and Bic Vogel, in memory of Fred SchneiderCarol Ann Leonard, in memory of Fred SchneiderChris Murphy, in memory of Fred SchneiderJohn (Chip) Morgan, in memory of Fred SchneiderElizabeth Allan, in memory of Fred SchneiderDennis Blanton, in memory of Fred SchneiderTerry Hynes, in memory of Fred SchneiderDavid Kasriel, in memory of Fred SchneiderLynn Kirkland, in memory of Fred SchneiderPat Lorusso, in memory of Fred SchneiderGordon and Carole Midgette, in memory of Fred SchneiderThomas Peard, in memory of Fred SchneiderCarol Reed, in memory of Fred SchneiderAllen Vegotsky, in memory of Fred SchneiderConstance White, in memory of Fred SchneiderLaurie Ruhl, Lois Rarick and Ellen Mullinax, in memory of Fred SchneiderJerry GreerCharlotte A. Smith and J.C. BurnsCarole GriffithTammy Herron

2009

Jack and Mary Frank WynnJack and Mary Frank WynnElizabeth Allen, in memory of GAAS member Connie WhiteCAPS (c/o Susan Williams)Carole GriffithDennis BlantonCharlotte A. Smith and J.C. Burns

2010

Frank Wynn, in memory of Dick Stone and Frank SchnellChris MurphyJohn (Chip) Morgan, in memory of Frank Schnell

Thanks to all for your contributions to the Endowment Fund, which provides the Society with a constant and steady financial base.Follow the instructions above, and send in your own contribution.

ANNOUNCEMENTS • ARCHAEOBUS NEWS • PHOTO GALLERIES • SGA NOTICES ONLINE

Governor’s Award in the Humanities presented to Rita ElliottSubmitted by Tom Gresham (searcheo@aol.com)

Rita Elliott, one of the most active, creative and energetic SGA members in recent memory, was awarded the prestigious Governor’sAward in the Humanities at a banquet in downtown Atlanta on May 11, 2010. She was presented the award on stage by GovernorSonny Perdue’s special assistant and former DNR Commissioner Lonice Barrett, Georgia Humanities Council President JamilZainaldin, National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman and former Congressman Jim Leach, and Humanities AwardsCommittee Chair Swann Seiler. At the awards banquet Rita was joined by SGA members Dan Elliott, Jim Langford, Tom and GiselaGresham, Rick Sellers, Betsy Shirk, Garrett Silliman, Bob Entorf, Mary Stakes, and Joey Charles.

Rita being given the award by Governor Perdue’s assistant Lonice Barrett, Georgia Humanities CouncilPresident Jamil Zainaldin, National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Jim Leach and AwardsCommittee Chair Swann Seiler.

Georgia Humanities Council President Zainaldin read the following at Rita’s award presentation:

Over the past twenty years Rita Folse Elliott, a practicing archaeologist, has been devoted to educating the public aboutthe rich history and prehistory of Georgia as told through archaeology. Her strong belief that educating the public isthe best way to preserve and protect history has led her to develop a variety of public programs, digital resources,exhibitions, and publications. As a volunteer, she has served the Society for Georgia Archaeology and the LAMARInstitute, an archaeology research group. Under her leadership, Archaeology Awareness Week has become ArchaeologyAwareness Month, and the Society for Georgia Archaeology has expanded its teacher training and hands-on activitiesfor students. Most recently she developed the ArchaeoBus, a former library bookmobile that travels the state withpermanent exhibitions. The ArchaeoBus served almost 10,000 Georgians in its first half-dozen stops. She serves ascurator of exhibits and archaeology at the Coastal Heritage Society, and has been vital to expanding that organization’suse of perspectives from archaeology in interpreting the historic sites that they manage.

SGA is very proud of Rita for this achievement and well-deserved recognition. She has served SGA in many roles, such as president,vice-president, endowment fund chair, ArchaeoBus chair, Committee for Program Renewal chair, Archaeology Month chair, and inthese various roles has greatly expanded and rejuvenated SGA’s mission and role in promoting archaeology throughout Georgia.

Rita with Scott Smith, Director of the Coastal Heritage Society, where Rita works.

Click on the thumbnails below to see more pictures from this event.

We previously announced on this website that Rita was going to receive this honor. Read that story here.

2010 ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH • 2010 SPRING • EVENTS INFORMATION • SGA NOTICES ONLINE

Board meets May 14th, AlbanySubmitted by Sammy Smith (sammy@thesga.org)

In conjunction with the Spring Meeting during 2010 Archaeology Month, SGA’s Board and Officers met in Albany for about threehours on Friday afternoon, May 14th, the day before the general meeting. Many topics requiring only brief discussion were covered,plus a few that required more reflection. The leadership discussed plans for the next two meetings (Fall 2010 and Spring 2011), andmore.

Past President Rita Elliott volunteered to chair the Nominating Committee. Please email Rita here or call her at 912.826.5214 if

you’re interested in serving the SGA, either on the Board or in some other capacity. Please volunteer now!

Fall Meeting plans are moving ahead for October 16th, on the coast in the Brunswick/St. Simons Island area. The Fall MeetingChairman is Board Member Kevin Kiernan.

A special thanks to the Committee who organized the 2010 Archaeology Month activities and meetings, and all who helped with thismajor undertaking. Tammy F. Herron ably lead this committee.

2010 ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH • 2010 SPRING • SGA NOTICES ONLINE

Packaging day for the Archaeology Month 2010 postersSubmitted by Tammy Herron (trforeha@mailbox.sc.edu)

Tackling the task at hand! Packaging is underway!

As the Archaeology Month Committee Chairman, you know you are on the home stretch when you are able to schedule PackagingDay for the posters. With the poster design safely in the hands of the printer, SGA Vice President Catherine Long ordered postertubes so that copies of the poster could be shipped to 8th-grade history teachers throughout Georgia, as well as to the sponsors ofArchaeology Month and the event co-sponsors. On Thursday April 15th, 575 tubes arrived at the Fernbank Museum of NaturalHistory in Atlanta. Brothers Trade Printing did a wonderful job printing 2,000 archaeology month posters and delivered them toFernbank on Thursday, April 22nd. With this delivery in hand, the stage was set for Packaging Day to take place on Monday, April26th.

On the morning of the 26th, thirteen volunteers—including members of the Greater Atlanta Archaeological Society and the GwinnettArchaeological Research Society—arrived ready for work detail. Volunteers collated paperwork, rolled posters, stuffed tubes, affixedmailing labels, constructed boxes from recycled cardboard, and packed boxes throughout the course of the day. With the majority ofthe work completed shortly after noon, mouthwatering pizza was enjoyed by all for lunch—thank you, Dennis! Approximately 45volunteer hours were logged throughout the course of the day. Special thanks to Dennis Blanton, Beth Gantt, Kate Jackson, DavidKasriel, Lyn Kirkland, Catherine Long, Karen Oates, Leslie Perry, Dot Rascoe, Armondo Tovar, Connie White, and Allen Vegotsky foryour diligence and expedience in assisting me throughout the day!

Click on the thumbnails below to see more pictures!

2010 ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH • 2010 SPRING • EVENTS INFORMATION • SGA NOTICES ONLINE

SGA’s Spring Meeting, May 15th, near Albany

The Society for Georgia Archaeology invites you to join us in honoring the our state’s seventeenth annual Archaeology Month! Thetheme is “Making the Past Come to Life! Exploring Ancient Techniques.”

Attend our Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 15th at The Parks at Chehaw, 105 Chehaw Park Road, just outside of Albany [mapbelow].

The meeting features exciting outdoor demonstrations by modern-day craftsmen who will show you skills much like our ancestors’.

You will see flintknapping, cordage, burn and scrape woodworking, weaving and woven bags, bone tools, steatite carving, basketmaking, pottery, brain tanning of hides, fire by friction, edible/medicinal plants, and other skills. The demonstrators andarchaeologists include Ben Kirkland, Scott Jones, James Stewart, Jackie Briggs, Sean Taylor, Carl Etheridge, Brian Floyd, KeithGrenoble, and Nancy Basket.

The meeting will also host a kid’s area with hands-on activities that children always enjoy.

Also at the meeting, the SGA’s unique ArchaeoBus will be open for tours. The ArchaeoBus is SGA’s travelling emissary, bringingdynamic educational programs around the state. Read more about the ArchaeoBus here.

The SGA has reserved a block of rooms, and has assembled hotel information for establishments convenient The Parks at Chehaw.

You can now download the Archaeology Month Events Brochure for this year.

2010 ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH • 2010 SPRING • EVENTS INFORMATION • LESSON PLANS •TEACHER/STUDENT

2010 lesson plan now available onlineSubmitted by Tammy Herron (trforeha@mailbox.sc.edu)

The Society for Georgia Archaeology proudly presents this year’s lesson plan! It offers information, instruction, pictures, discussions,activities, and suggestions for additional reading and online resources.

The theme SGA has chosen for Georgia Archaeology Month 2010 is Making the Past Come to Life! Exploring Ancient Techniques.We hope that the readers of this lesson plan will become familiar with a range of skills and techniques used by the early inhabitantsof Georgia, and perhaps better understand the dynamic interaction between the natural environment and humans and their culture.

Attend our Spring Meeting on May 15th at The Parks at Chehaw, just outside of Albany (map below), and see these techniquesdemonstrated. You will see flintknapping, cordage, burn and scrape woodworking, weaving and woven bags, bone tools, steatitecarving, basket making, pottery, brain tanning of hides, fire by friction, edible/medicinal plants, and other skills. The demonstratorsand archaeologists include Ben Kirkland, Scott Jones, James Stewart, Jackie Briggs, Sean Taylor, Carl Etheridge, Brian Floyd, KeithGrenoble, and Nancy Basket. For more on the meeting, click here.

Much of the information in the lesson plan was extracted from Scott Jones’s book, A View to the Past: Experience and Experimentin Primitive Technology, which is discussed elsewhere on this website. For more information about primitive skills or to order AView to the Past, please visit Scott’s website here. The SGA sincerely appreciates Scott’s myriad contributions to this lesson plan.

The lesson plan explores primitive skills, defined as “belonging to or characteristic of an early stage of development.” The plan notes:

As you study the ways of the ancients you begin to notice that it is the relative simplicity of their techniques thatallows us to use similar skills in survival situations today. But, you also need to have some knowledge of and respectfor your natural environment. [page 8]

Activities include suggestions for making a clay gorget necklace, using a digging stick in creating a garden, and more.

Click here to access the SGA’s 2010 lesson plan that explores techniques that ancient peoples would have used near-daily.

ARCHAEOLOGY 101 • BOOK NOTES • WEEKLY PONDER

Must-have book: Hudson’s Southeastern IndiansSubmitted by Sammy Smith (sammy@thesga.org)

Ethnohistorian Charles Hudson’s book The Southeastern Indians is still in print.

That’s saying something; it was originally published in 1976. Mostly, it indicates that this readable, data-filled volume remainsrelevant and important.

In other words: save your pennies and get your own copy!

Yes, archaeologists and historians have gathered significant new information since this book was published, but what’s between the

covers means this title is worth having in your own library.

Hudson’s writing is both lyrical and factual. Consider the initial paragraph:

The native people of the American South—the Southeastern Indians—possessed the richest culture of any of the nativepeople north of Mexico. It was richest by almost any measure. At the time Europeans first came to the New World, theSoutheastern Indians lived on the fruits of an economy which combined farming with hunting and gathering; theyorganized themselves into relatively complex political units; they built large towns and monumental ceremonialcenters; and they possessed a rich symbolism and an expressive art style. But hardly any of this has left an impressionon our historical memory. The average American has some notion of the Powhatan Indians of Virginia and of the rolethey played in our early colonial history; he has a clear but stereotyped concept of the Indians who lived on the GreatPlains; he may know something about the Navajo and Pueblo Indians of the Southwest; but he knows little or nothingabout the Southeastern Indians.

Remember, Dr. Hudson wrote this in 1976. Still, many “average Americans” know little about the native peoples who lived inGeorgia. If you want to learn about them, this book, with its maps and black-and-white photographic plates, is an excellent place tostart. It remains available in paperback at a reasonable cost.

What other volumes do you consider must-have for your own library on Georgia archaeology? Log in and comment!

Charles M. Hudson, 1976, “The Southeastern Indians,” University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville. 573 pages. ISBN-13: 978-0870492488.

ANNOUNCEMENTS • ARCHAEOBUS NEWS • SGA NOTICES ONLINE

Rita Elliott to receive 2010 Governor’s Award in theHumanitiesIn a letter from Governor Sonny Perdue, long-time SGA member and pastpresident Rita Elliott was informed that she will be a recipient of theprestigious Governor’s Award in the Humanities. The Georgia HumanitiesCouncil’s Governor’s awards recognize and celebrate individuals andorganizations working to increase understanding and appreciation of thehumanities.

Rita Elliott, an active archeologist with the Coastal Heritage Society inSavannah, has devoted her life to educating the public, especially children,about the rich, fascinating history and prehistory of Georgia as told througharchaeology. Rita has been a tireless proponent of SGA for almost 20 years,spearheading the revitalization of the group in the 1990s.

The award recognizes Rita’s career of archeological research and hernumerous, varied and creative contributions to public education, much ofwhich was done through SGA. The award was prompted by the successfullaunching of her most ambitious project to date, the ArchaeoBus.

Rita was nominated for the award by Tom Gresham with supporting lettersprovided by Dr. David Crass (DNR Division Director, State Archaeologist),Dennis Blanton (current SGA President), Betsy Shirk (former SGApresident), Scott Smith (CEO and President of the Coastal Heritage Society),and Ellen Provenzano (educator and long time SGA member).

This is the 25th anniversary of the Governors’ Awards, and the presentation ceremony will be held Tuesday May 11, 2010 at the OldGeorgia Railroad Depot in Atlanta, beginning at 10:30 AM with a lecture by Jim Leach, Chair of the National Endowment for theHumanities and former United States Congressman. The awards luncheon will follow at noon.

The Society for Georgia Archaeology congratulates Rita for a well deserved honor.

For more information or to purchase tickets ($50) click here for information or to purchase online, or contact Jamila Owens 404-523-6220 ext. 12, or or 800-523-6202, or via email by clicking here.