CHEROKEE , N.C.— A team of archaeologists scouring a stretch of land near Cherokee for more than a year is excited by what they’ve found in the trash.
The team is conducting an excavation on property owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the setting of the tribe’s future K-12 campus.
The archaeologists have uncovered pottery shards, spear points, cooking instruments, pipes, game pieces and jewelry from what they call pits, basically the garbage bins of the indigenous people who lived there hundreds of years ago.
Read the October 15 story in the Asheville Citizen-Times at
Archaeologist urges Florida town to preserve its past
Beachgoers may not realize it, but evidence of Lake Worth, Florida's, earliest inhabitants could be all around them.
The area that is now the Lake Worth Beach is one of several sites in Lake Worth that archaeologists believe contains artifacts dating back hundreds, and maybe thousands of years. Lake Worth resident and archaeologist Dorothy Block hopes the city will do more to ensure that developers will not destroy these sites.
Read the October 19 story in the Palm Beach Post at
Prehistoric pottery may fill in gaps in Florida history
Pottery that may help fill a 1,000-year gap of poorly documented history in St. Johns County was recently discovered in Julington Creek, officials said.
Read the October 17 story in The St. Augustine Record at
A UNC-Chapel Hill archaeologist, using shovels and aged government ledgers, is piecing together the lost history of Cherokees forcibly removed from North Carolina 167 years ago.
Read the October 16 story in the News & Observer at
Could hunter-gatherers have been more sophisticated than we once thought?
The typical picture of the hunter-gatherer community is that of a small number of people wandering across the landscape, hunting for food and gathering nuts and berries. They were not complex in their political and social organization and are thought of as very simple people.
But could that traditional viewpoint be completely wrong?
Courtesy Photo
T.R. Kidder, Ph.D. (top right), professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences, discusses the stratigraphy of Poverty Point's Mound A with Anthony Ortmann (left), a doctoral student from Tulane University, and Jon Gibson, Ph.D., professor of anthropology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
T.R. Kidder, Ph.D., professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences, thinks it may be, especially for hunter-gatherer communities in Southern and Eastern parts of the United States.
Kidder has been studying the Poverty Point site in northeastern Louisiana. The site, near the town of Epps, is one of the largest mound sites in North America. It also is one of the oldest.
Read the October 14 story in the Record of Washington University in St. Louis at
A hefty price tag has been placed on a piece of history.
Cayo Pelau — an island off the northeastern tip of Boca Grande — reportedly has Calusa Indian mounds and was a hot spot for Cuban fishermen in the 1800s.
The 126-acre island could be purchased for preservation if it makes it through the Lee County Conservation 20/20 program's nomination process. The asking price: $6.8 million.
An environmental group that is fighting to stop a town-home development on the shores of Lake Monroe near Orlando, Florida, said Monday that it has found proof there is an Indian midden at the site that could halt development.
An attorney representing the owners of the historic Thornby property said the discovery is another tactic to slow development of the 40-acre tract.
"There have been a lot of claims of various things that were supposedly on the property," said Allen Watts, the DeLand attorney. "No one has claimed there is gold on it yet, but they've claimed there was an eagle and a fort. Now there is a midden, apparently."
Read the October 11 story in the Orlando Sentinel at
Sitting on the bow of his boat last week, underwater archaeologist Gordon Watts thought about what might be buried in the waters of Roanoke Sound.
Iron guns, perhaps, or bricks or ceramics, all more than 400 years old and abandoned by colonists who came from England, built a life and then disappeared ... to where?
Read the October 10 story in The News & Observer at
The discovery of 2,000-year-old artifacts on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is prompting archaeologists to rethink their theories about the early presence of Native Americans in North Carolina.
Archaeology group digs into history at South Carolina site
An eye, an ear, two teeth, some arms and a leg -- almost enough parts to build a 200-year-old doll -- were just some of the relics found Sunday at Historic Beaufort Foundation's North Street archaeological dig. Read the October 11 story in the Island Packet at
Alcoa Donates 1.3 million artifacts from Hardaway Site
October 03, 2005 11:30 AM US Eastern Timezone
BADIN, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2005--School children, scholars and the public will learn more about North Carolina's earliest inhabitants, thanks to two gifts from Alcoa Inc. and the company's nonprofit foundation to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Alcoa Inc. is donating more than 1.3 million artifacts to UNC's Research Laboratories of Archaeology from the 10,000-year-old Hardaway archaeological site near Badin in Stanly County.
The Alcoa Foundation is awarding UNC a $220,000 grant for outreach programs to educate school children and the public about the artifacts and the site, a National Historic Landmark. The company announced the two gifts, valued at around $353,000, today (Oct. 3) at the Hardaway site.
This is the second gift of Hardaway artifacts to UNC by Alcoa, completing an initial donation of about 200,000 artifacts in 1998. The entire collection contains about 1.5 million artifacts, mostly stone tools that were used by ancient peoples who lived at the site.
The total value of the entire Hardaway collection and the new outreach grant is $769,000.
The Hardaway site, located on the Yadkin River, is the oldest excavated settlement in North Carolina and one of the oldest and most significant archaeological sites in North America, dating to before 8,000 B.C. The site is owned by Alcoa, which operates four hydroelectric stations, dams and reservoirs along a 38-mile stretch of the Yadkin River.
"The Hardaway artifacts tell an important story about the earliest inhabitants of North Carolina, and we believe they should be kept in the state permanently," said Geoff Cromer, president of U.S. Primary Metals, Alcoa. "Through continued research and public outreach, UNC can help us better understand the history of the state and its first people."
The outreach grant will allow for creation of a variety of inter-related programs, such as an "Archaeology Days" event, an exhibit on North Carolina's first people at local museums across the state, a public television program and teacher education materials. Part of the grant will be used to help renovate a 3,200-square-foot storage space in UNC's Hamilton Hall, making a new, permanent home for the artifacts. Under an agreement with Alcoa, UNC archaeologists unearthed the Hardaway artifacts during two separate periods of fieldwork, with the first excavations taking place in 1948.
Dr. Vin Steponaitis, an anthropology professor and director of the archaeology research labs, part of UNC's College of Arts and Sciences, said Alcoa's gift makes the Hardaway artifacts permanently available to future scholars and students at Carolina, to North Carolina's school children and to the public.
"The collection is an important part of North Carolina's heritage that we have had the privilege of caring for at UNC," Steponaitis said. "Alcoa's gift transcends a dollar amount. We are grateful for the completion of this gift, because the artifacts offer a lot of information from which we can keep learning about North Carolina's earliest people. We've only scratched the surface in terms of studying the collection."
The artifacts are part of the university's seven-million-piece North Carolina Archaeological Collection, one of the finest collections of Southeastern archaeological materials.
Examples of the proposed programs funded by the outreach grant include:
-- a major public event, "Archaeology Days," at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, which would showcase the Hardaway collection;
-- an exhibit on "North Carolina's First People," which would debut at UNC's Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and could travel to other museums in the state;
-- a public television episode on archaeology which would prominently feature Hardaway in the series, "Exploring North Carolina," which airs on UNC-TV;
-- development of teaching kits and posters that could be coordinated with lesson plans on Hardaway. The staff of UNC's Ackland Art Museum would assist in kit development and poster design; and
-- development of an online teacher workshop and digital resource library about Hardaway through LEARN North Carolina, a public service of UNC's School of Education.
"If you ask most people on the street when North Carolina history begins, they think of the Lost Colony and Roanoke. Our goal is to raise awareness of the fact that people have been living here for 10,000 years," Steponaitis said. "This is something all citizens of North Carolina need to know."
The Alcoa gifts count toward the university's Carolina First Campaign goal of $2 billion. Carolina First is a comprehensive, multi-year, private fund-raising campaign to support Carolina's vision of becoming the nation's leading public university.
The new round of CZM Coastal Incentive Grants are out now and the applications are due January 9, 2006. The theme again this year covers archaeology, historic preservation, heritage tourism, etc... If you have a project that needs funding or have projects in mind this grant program is for grants up to $50,000.
Here is the theme:
Preserve, identify, promote the interpretation of, access to and responsible management of coastal natural and historical, archaeological, and cultural resources in all CZM counties
· Heritage tourism
· Inventory, planning, or enhancement of public access to coastal natural and cultural resources
Jason Burns, M.A., RPA
Deputy State Archaeologist - Underwater
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
10 Ocean Science Circle
Savannah, Georgia 31411
912-598-3346, (FAX) 912-598-2366 Jason_Burns@dnr.state.ga.us http://www.gashpo.org
More details:
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Coastal Resources Division (CRD), is soliciting proposals for Coastal Incentive Grants (CIG) awarded under the Georgia Coastal Management Program (GCMP). The following announcement provides background and describes funding priorities, selection criteria, and application procedures.
Using a tiered approach, this Request for Proposals solicits projects that 1) are related to one or more of the two main themes identified by the Coastal Advisory Council (CAC) for the Cycle IX awards; or 2) are deemed by a local government to be a project of Critical Local Need. Greatest consideration will be given to proposals that are related to the two theme areas. Critical Local Need project proposals that are unrelated to any of the themes established by the Coastal Advisory Council will also be ranked and awarded according to the availability of funds.
MISSION STATEMENT
It is the mission of the Georgia Coastal Management program to balance economic development in Georgias coastal area with preservation of natural, environmental, historic, archaeological, and recreational resources for the benefit of Georgias present and future generations.
The Georgia Department of Transportation on September 7, 2005, issued a Request For Proposal for archaeological mitigation.
Project Description: Proposed Weyerhaeuser Flint River Wetlands Mitigation Tract in Upson County, Ga. The tract is a 1,350-acre wetland south of Thomaston in Upson County, Ga. This is an archaeological survey project that should include notification, background research, an intensive pedestrian survey, Geographic Information System-generated maps, artifact analysis and a final report.
Interested consultants should submit six copies of the RFP no later than Friday, October 7 to Bobby Adams, Assistant Transportation Administrator, Office of Consultant Design and Program Delivery, Room 354, No. 2 Capitol Square SW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30334.
Bid Number RFP-484-100705
Contact Person: Deneice Dean, (404) 463-1290
Contact E-mail Address rowena.dean@dot.state.ga.us
Bid Closing Date/Time 2005-10-07, 4:45 PM
Dollar Range $500,000-$999,999
TVA staff recommends swap of Tennessee lake property to developer
Tennessee Valley Authority land managers will recommend trading away to a private developer 578 acres of Nickajack Lake waterfront, some of it obtained decades ago from farmers and other private owners forced to sell to the government.
Tom Kunesh, a spokesman for the Sacred Little Cedar Mountain Defense Coalition that contends American Indian cultural properties would be destroyed by the proposed residential and recreational community, said approval would "definitely" mean a court fight.
Read the September 22 story in the Southern Standard at
The tiny museum in Graham County dedicated to highlighting the area's unique place in Cherokee history is in the midst of renovations and creating new exhibits that organizers hope will draw more visitors.
Read the September 24 story in the Asheville Citizen-Times at
Phyllis Kolianos, co-editor (with Brent R. Weisman) of The Lost Florida Manuscript of Frank Hamilton Cushing, will speak to residents of Marco Islander, Florida, on Tuesday, Oct. 4 about the discovery of the manuscript in the Smithsonian archives, and what it means to the Twentieth Century.
Read the September 21 article in the Marco Island Sun Times at
An expanse of land near Brooksville, Florida, was home to one of the first Creek Indian settlements in Florida and holds clues to the beginning of the Seminole Tribe.
Read the September 9 story in the St. Petersburg Times at
Moccasin Bend Interpretive Center planning to take two years
Planning will be ongoing for the next two years for the interpretive center at the new Moccasin Bend National Archaeological District, National Park Service officials said September 22.
Officials from the National Park Service, two Florida Department of Environmental Protection agencies, the Division of Recreation and Parks, and the Office of Greenways and Trails have been meeting with local community officials from all over the state to revitalize the DeSoto Trail.
Read the August 28 story in the Bradenton Herald at
Rediscovered War of 1812 fort recalls last invasion of U.S.
ST. MARYS, Ga., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Land Resource Companies and Rep. Jack Kingston dedicated the "Forgotten Invasion" exhibit at Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum on August 22 at 10 a.m. This event paid tribute to one of the most significant archaeological finds in recent U.S. history: a fort that was the site of the last battle of the War of 1812.
"I am proud of Land Resource Companies," said Rep. Kingston. "They have set the example; this is the kind of public-private development we are looking for."
"Land Resource Companies' projects bring history and home sites together into one community," said Paul Beidel, president of LRC. "Our organization is working very hard to preserve the history and a sense of place by adding on-site signage, creating a museum exhibit to tell the Forgotten Invasion story and setting aside and preserving the remains of the fort."
National Park Service Southeast Regional Director Patricia Hooks, the new Deputy Commissioner of Tourism Dan Rowe, British Consul General Michael Bates, State Rep. Cecily Hill (R-St. Marys), museum Superintendent Jerre Brumbelow and representatives from U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), LRC and Brockington & Associates, all made remarks at the event.
Point Peter uncovered
Remains of the fort, uncovered by Land Resource Companies at Point Peter near St. Marys, are located at a prime development area. The fort might have remained forgotten if the Atlanta-based developers had not decided to create Cumberland Harbour, a 1,200-unit residential and marina community near the site.
To meet federal historic preservation requirements, LRC hired archaeologists from the cultural resource firm Brockington and Associates to uncover the remains of the fort. Noting the significance of the discovery, LRC has spent more than half a million dollars to survey and excavate the site, preserve artifacts, and develop an educational museum display and an educational program for local students.
Background and Historical Significance
A forgotten piece of history, Point Peter played a significant role in events of the early republic period. Constructed as part of the "First System" of seacoast fortifications in 1796, troops stationed at Point Peter and St. Marys helped enforce both the Embargo Act and Prohibition of the African
Slave Trade in 1808. From 1811 to 1813, it was a rendezvous station for the Patriot Invasion of East Florida.
Point Peter was the site of the last major military activity of the War of 1812 in January 1815, when the British landed in force on Cumberland Island, then staged a two-pronged attack against the fort. A peace treaty ending the War of 1812 was signed in Belgium in December 1814, but the soldiers, far
removed from Europe, knew nothing of the treaty. The British then destroyed the fort, barracks and magazine. After occupying and looting Point Peter, Cumberland Island and St. Marys, the British left in early March 1815.
Rarely used after the British occupation, Point Peter was a rendezvous station for the U.S. troops charged with squashing the Filibuster Expedition in 1818 and the last military occupancy dates back to about 1821. The fort was then made obsolete by the cessation of Florida to the United States.
Fernandina and St. Augustine then afforded the U.S. better military protection. By 1840, when the construction began for Fort Clinch (at the northern tip of Amelia Island), Point Peter had been forgotten.
"The LRC project helped rewrite history," said Scott Butler, project manager for the Point Peter excavation and senior archaeologist at Brockington & Associates. "The War of 1812 was originally thought to end in New Orleans, but the formerly forgotten fort site is where the war actually ended. The discovery is enormously significant and from the study of the over 68,000 artifacts found we were able to determine that this fort is connected to national and world events during the 1800s."
Education develops history appreciation
The LRC-funded exhibit was designed and created by The History Workshop, a division of Brockington and Associates. This division focuses on historic preservation and public education and presents results of archaeological projects to the public.
The exhibit opened on July 1 at the Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum, 129 Osborne St., St. Marys. The museum is open daily from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Current plans call for the exhibit to stay at St. Mary's until 2012, or beyond, for the bicentennial anniversary of the beginning the War of 1812.
South Carolina's Croatan Indians unearth artifacts for future display
There's an expression that if you tickle the earth with a hoe, she laughs with a harvest. An Orangeburg-based group of Native Americans have begun to explore that possibility with a professional archeological dig out on its property, where interesting pieces of ancient history have already been found. The Croatan Indian Tribe of South Carolina purchased 57 acres of land off of Lake Edisto Drive for an Orangeburg Native American Living Village Museum/Cultural Center in 2003. Logging operations conducted to clear the land exposed artifacts dating back from the early Archaic Period (8,000-6,000 BC) to the 19th century. Arrowheads, spears, knife tips, grinding stones, grooved axes and pottery were among the artifacts tribal members have already found at the site. Boiling stones, banner stone and even Civil War relics including buttons and bullets have also been found.
Read the August 14 story in The Times and Democrat at
A crew from the maritime division of the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina might have found the first evidence that the Capitana, a lead ship in a Spanish expedition to the New World, struck a sandbar and sank near the entrance to Winyah Bay in 1526.
Read the August 12 story in the Myrtle Beach Sun News at
Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet agreed - albeit reluctantly - to preserve 1,391 acres in Jefferson and Leon counties around Letchworth Mounds State Park. Letchworth Mounds, located 12 miles east of Tallahassee, is the tallest American Indian ceremonial mound in Florida at 46 feet. It was built more than 1,000 years ago. The state is buying 109.6 acres and is paying landowner Hurley Booth not to develop another 1,281.6 acres surrounding the park. The deal will cost the state $4.7 million.
Read the August 10 story in The Tallahassee Democrat at
Jeb Bush, his Cabinet delay Florida Indian mound land buy
Confronted with Florida's escalating real-estate prices, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet balked Thursday at paying more than $5 million to preserve a tract of North Florida land used by Indians more than 1,000 years ago.
Bush and the Cabinet, venturing out of Tallahassee for one of their "Capital for a Day" events, decided to delay until their Aug. 9 meeting a decision on whether to pay more than $5.2 million to preserve 1,391 acres that include historic Indian mounds in Leon and Jefferson counties.
The rising cost of land across Florida is making similar conservation purchases more difficult, especially with landowners growing accustomed to large profits when they sell, Bush said.
Read the June 17 story in the Tallahassee Democrat at
To look out for the interests of the taxpayers above those of the seller, the governor and Cabinet officials need to know not only whether the deal is too expensive but also if there is much of a threat to this archaeological site.
The last question will be easier to answer. Letchworth Mounds is a 77-acre park that already protects the 46-foot American Indian site itself. The proposed purchase of Mr. Booth's land is ostensibly to prevent homes from being built too close by.
Park agents and proponents of the purchase suggest that $5.2 million is a reasonable fee for "preserving the visitor's experience" for those who explore the little-known rural park.
Given that state money is limited for purchasing properties that are truly endangered, this $5.2 million might be better spent on more urgent environmental or historic rescues. Possibly even on other needs entirely, such as education.
Ever wondered why the public doesn't support the preservation of many archaeological sites? A June 29 letter to the Tallahassee Democrat will give you a real good idea. Read more at
Folks, we're going to have to do a better job selling!
Florida dig unearths cool finds
Apparently a cold drink did a body good in the mid-18th century. University of West Florida archaeology students uncovered an underground food cooler behind the T.T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum in downtown Pensacola that could date from 1756.
Read the Aug. 6 story in the Pensacola News Journal at
An interesting story from the Aug. 7 Tallahassee Democrat about how high land prices are limiting state conservation efforts, including preservation of archaeological sites.
Georgia man pleads guilty to damaging Chicamauga battlefield
Co-defendant is a fugitive
Press release by David E. Nahmias, United States Attorney for the Northern District of
Georgia; Gregory Jones, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Sam Weddle, Chief Ranger, National Park Service, Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia,
On Aug. 3, a Georgia man, TERRY STEPHEN CRAWFORD, 46, of Catoosa County, Georgia, pleaded guilty to charges of removing and damaging archaeological resources located on public lands and removing items having commercial and archaeological value. According to Nahmias and the documents and information presented in court:
On August 24, 2003, National Park Rangers asked Crawford and his nephew and co-defendant, SAMUEL E. CLAY, 22, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, about their presence in the Battlefield Park, and Crawford admitted that they had been digging up bullets and other Civil War memorabilia from the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park near Brotherton Field, at Chickamauga
Battlefield. CRAWFORD showed the park rangers where they had been digging, and he was found to possess Minnie balls and other Civil War memorabilia in his backpack.M. (CLAY failed to appear for his initial federal court appearance in May 2004 and remains a fugitive. Anyone with information on CLAY is asked to call the FBI at 404-679-9000.)
CRAWFORD could receive a maximum of two years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, October 7, 2005, at 1:30 p.m. before United States District Judge Harold L. Murphy.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the FBI and Park Rangers of the National Park Service.
Assistant United States Attorney William G. Traynor is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney or Yonette Sam-Buchanan, Chief, Terrorism, Violent and Organized Crimes, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan
Dozens of amateur archaeologists dig into Kentucky's past
Dozens of people have found themselves up to their elbows in dirt since Louisville, Ky.'s Metro Parks-sponsored archaeological dig in a 56-acre park in western Louisville began last Wednesday.
Read the July 27 story in the Louisville Courier Journal at
Alabama author tells tale of assassination, Indian trails
"Indian Trails of the Warrior Mountains" is a 187-page book documenting some of the earliest routes in North Alabama and telling about people who traveled them.
Co-author Butch Walker said proceeds from the book will go to purchase 33 acres near the museum and park, where there is an ancient Indian burial mound. Read the July 24 story in The Decatur Daily at
Explorers agree to reveal Mobile Bay shipwreck sites
Explorers seeking permission to investigate four shipwreck sites they claim to have discovered near Mobile Bay have agreed to reveal the precise location of the vessels to the state and federal governments.
A Florida man who advocates saving an archaeological site explains his point of view in a July 23 guest commentary in the Naples News. "My motives of concern for the archaeology site are not as vain and cynical as suggested. I am considering what the site may mean to future generations and what information we can learn from it," he writes. Read more at
Digging gloveless through buckets of Burke County dirt has left a trail of nicks and cuts on Gulley's palms. But what Gulley and his colleagues are finding in that dirt -- from bits of centuries-old American Indian pottery to nails likely used by Spanish explorers -- is worth some scratches, he said.
Read the July 17 story in The Charlotte Observer at
Some of more than 20 routes and sites in Western North Carolina may be considered for addition to the historic Cherokee Trail of Tears.
Brett Riggs, an archaeologist with the Research Laboratories of Archaeology at UNC-Chapel Hill, has spent years researching WNC Cherokee sites, primarily in Cherokee County, for the North Carolina chapter of the national Trail of Tears Association.
Riggs is finalizing a study for the National Park Service that details Cherokee-related sites in WNC relevant to the trail. Those sites include Army installations where Cherokee were interred prior to the march, roads, stores, private residences and more.
Read the July 21 story in the Asheville Citizen-Times at
Greene County, Miss., was once thought to be a dormant area with little historical value. But archaeologists and historians have recently uncovered a rich substrata of the area’s past dating back thousands of years. And they intend to share their findings with members of the public .
Archaeological finds could alter South Carolina park plans
Beaufort County, S.C., might shift park plans at Fort Fremont depending on the findings of archeological surveys next week in the wooded area east of the fort that could have housed a Civil War encampment.
A developer pulls its subdivision plan after research shows the site was the birthplace of part of the Seminole nation. Read the July 14 story in The St. Petersburg Times at
A related editorial in The St. Petersburg Times notes that"commissioners, land investors and proponents of preservation should remember the story of Griffin Prairie as an example of why development always should proceed with caution." Read the July 15 editorial at
"Blackbeard's Ship" yields new clues to pirate mystery
The pirate Blackbeard's flagship may finally be yielding its identity after nearly 300 years on the ocean floor. Though researchers have yet to find definitive proof, evidence continues to surface off the coast of North Carolina that wreckage there was once the vessel known as Queen Anne's Revenge.
Read the July 12 story in National Geographic News at
What could be more exciting to an archeologist than to hear the words, "I found something?"
Those words actually came out of one of an excavator's mouth Wednesday.
Mac Brooms and his team of assistants who have come to East Brewton to see if they can find anything that would pinpoint the location of the original Fort Crawford began the dig on Monday .
Florida site opens window to area's ancient history
Overgrown by cabbage palms and tall oak trees, the five-acre site along Price Boulevard could easily pass for any one of North Port's undeveloped tracts.
But it's what is underneath the surface, scientists say, that makes it an archeological treasure.
John Beriault led a group of about 50 amateur archaeologists and history buffs Saturday on a tour of one of Southwest Florida's most important residential developments.
While standing next to the newest condo under construction in Bonita Bay Group's original development off West Terry Street, Beriault was far more impressed with a series of small mounds of earthen bumps that formed 5-acre circle than he was with the multimillion-dollar units being built only a few hundred yards away.
Read the full story in the June 26 Bonita Banner at
Wetlands issues are only part of the regulatory concerns facing the developers. They also must come up with an approved plan for identifying any archaeological sites that will be affected by the project. "There are several prehistoric Indian sites on the property and previous testing has shown that some of the sites contain Indian graves," said Tennessee state archaeologist Nick Fielder.
Read more in a June 24 story from the Knoxville News Sentinel at
An age-old archaeological quest was played out Thursday on a steamy summer afternoon at Oakleigh Mansion in Midtown. Read more in a June 24 story from the Mobile Register at
Only a handful of construction workers and St. Augustine city officials -- plus a lucky class of University of Florida archaeology students -- got to see new sections of the 18th-century Cubo Line unearthed Monday.
City Archaeologist Carl Halbirt said this excavation was the first time the Cubo Line's original moat, palm log revetment and redoubt could be seen at the same time.
"They're going to cover this up and I don't think we're ever going to see this again," Halbirt said. "They'll have it covered up tomorrow."
Read the June 21 story in The St. Augustine Record at
Three hundred years ago, the advance of British troops prompted several hundred Spanish and Apalachee Indians living in San Luis to burn their church and homes and flee. Research and reconstruction at the site began 20 years ago, and Mission San Luis de Apalachee now attracts thousands of visitors each year as the only reconstructed Spanish mission in Florida.
Read the June 22 story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution at
Civil War fort found in Kentucky, with its history still buried
The largest Civil War earthen fort known to exist in south-central Kentucky has been discovered on the outskirts of Stanford in Lincoln County, just south of the Dix River.
"This is a major fortification, not a small gun position or some kind of temporary structure," said Thomas Fugate, Kentucky Heritage Council site identification program manager. "This structure would have housed a fairly large number of soldiers -- and it's four times larger than any of those discovered so far in the Bluegrass Region."
Were it not for the planned widening of U.S. 27 between Stanford and Lancaster, the historic Union Army earthworks might have gone virtually unnoticed for 140 more years or longer.
Archaeologist R. Burle Clay identified the site while investigating possible archaeological resources in an area along the planned highway corridor.
Read the June 19 story in the Louisville Courier-Journal at
A residential development by an archaeological site in Bonita, Fla., rekindles push for preservation ordinance.
Three custom homes are going up next door to what some believe is the city's oldest archaeological site. Gordon River Homes is building a 5,200-square-foot home on a 110-foot by 175-foot site at 4850 Snarkage Dr. that will eventually sell for more than $3 million, according to Buster Venavle, owner of the company.
On the other side of the Strader site — known to be a shell midden from about 3,000 years ago — River Oak Homes is building two more homes at 4824 and 4819 Snarkage Dr. which will also be priced at the $2.5 million to $3 million range.
The new homes and the impending development of four similar luxury homes on the Imperial River-front site is worrying former owner Charlie Strader, who has long been a proponent of preserving the site as a historic location.
Read the June 18 story in the Bonita Banner (registration is required but it's free) at
Suit seeks to halt Transpark project in Bowling Green, Ky.
Environmentalists filed a federal lawsuit yesterday, seeking to stop construction at the Kentucky Trimodal Transpark project in Bowling Green and compel a full-blown environmental study.
Earlier this year, when the bones of two Indians and several ancient drawings on hardened mud and limestone rock were discovered in a previously unknown cave under a Bowling Green construction site, it prompted renewed calls by some of the same environmentalists and some archaeologists for a thorough study of prehistoric Indian sites in the area.
Archaeologist attempts to find slave quarters on Coosaw Island, S.C.
Evidence of early slave life may rest just across the Coosaw River under a foot of earth. On Wednesday morning, archaeologist Dan Battle, with help from colleagues, used a ground-penetrating radar device in an attempt to locate slave cabins in a field on David Smith Community Center grounds on Coosaw Island.
To a lot of people, "archaeologist" conjures up an image of Indiana Jones, cracking a whip with one arm and cradling an armful of blonde with the other. The work of archaeology is noticeably less glamorous for the professionals at Southeastern Archeological Services, an Athens, Ga., company that does the authentic stuff, however.
Read the June 15 story in the Athens Banner-Herald (registration is required, but hey, it's free) at
A key, an arrowhead, a shard of pottery -- each doesn't look like much at first glance. But each could reveal where Nathanael Greene built his entrenchments, where colonial people smelted iron, or where George Washington had breakfast in 1791.
No one knows this better than UNCG archaeologist Linda Stine and her field school, which has spent the past few weeks at Troublesome Creek, N.C.,excavating the remains of the area's colonial and Revolutionary War settlements.
Florida city commissioners to hear about cultural resources
Commissioners in North Port, Fla., near Sarasota will hear about two environmental issues affecting land and preservation 6 p.m. at the June 13 City Commission meeting -- scrub jays and Little Salt Springs. The Little Salt Springs park project involves the preservation of five acres of neighboring land. The Little Salt Springs is an internationally renowned 130-foot sinkhole featuring submerged artifacts within its depths. The park is located on 110 acres off Price Boulevard and is owned by the University of Miami. The area of concern contains a 6,000-year-old cemetery located in a saw-grass wetland and habitation area in the adjacent wooded area.
Rezoning of Florida conservation land not recommended
Citing environmental and archaeological concerns, planning board members unanimously recommended June 6 to deny a request to rezone several acres of conservation land along U.S. 1 in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. Read the June 8 story in The Daytona Beach News-Journal at
What once was a spiritually charged Native American village, a sprawling cotton plantation, and, in recent years, home to an infamous bigamist and famous Christmas spectacle, may become another gas station or neon-tinted strip mall, some worry. Read the June 10 story in the TimesDaily at
N.C. bill would check criminal backgrounds before archaeology
"Excavators" who search North Carolina's waters and substrates for historical artifacts should be checked for criminal backgrounds to make sure they aren't likely to pilfer relics, the state's chief said Thursday. Read the June 9 story in The News & Observer at
Bridge project uncovers Revolutionary War battle site
A bridge project across the Broad River between Chester and Union counties, South Carolina, has uncovered the exact location of a Revolutionary War battle site and will now be preserved by the state. Read the June 7 story in The State at
A Tennessee developer is prepared to donate about 1,100 acres to the public for hunting, recreation and preservation — preservation of both natural habitat and American Indian archaeological sites. The catch: in exchange he wants 578 acres of Tennessee Valley Authority land where he plans to build a $350 million gated community. Read the June 5 story in the Knoxville News Sentinel (registration is required, but it's free and easy) at
Fearing that a mammoth condo project will overwhelm the ancient Miami Circle, preservationists push for design changes and a 'dignified' portal to the site. Read the June 4 story in The Miami Herald at
Archaeologists say everal developments have aligned to improve the chances that the remains of the CSS Georgia, scuttled in Savannah, Ga., in 1864, will see daylight again and eventually be placed on public exhibition.
Read the June 5 story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at
Scientists search waters around South Carolina island
Scientists searching underwater for shipwrecks, docks and other sunken items along Callawassie Island came up with little more than an old can, a wrench and a lot of crab traps during the past two weeks. But that hasn't deterred the scientists from wondering what still lies below the surface of Chechessee Creek.
Forty-seven "arrowheads" illegally excavated from a state wildlife management area were discovered after a wildlife commission officer from Crystal River, Fla., was patrolling the Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area in Alachua County and stumbled upon James Kirk Gates on May 23, commission spokeswoman Karen Parker said.
Read the June 1 story in the St. Petersburg Times at
Artifacts unveiled from the town of Old St. Stephens, Alabama.
Friday was an exciting day for archeologists at the University of South Alabama and historians from Washington County, when thousands of new artifacts unearthed during the most recent digs at the Old St. Stephens town site, were unveiled.
Christine Lee Newman has spent 25 years finding, analyzing and preserving Florida's archaeological heritage and yet still gets excited about each new discovery. That contagious positive energy, work ethic and enthusiasm led the Florida Anthropological Society to honor Newman with the 2005 Ripley P. Bullen Award, named after an influential Florida archaeologist of the 1940s and 1950s.
Read the May 19 story in The St. Augustine Record (the site requires registration, but hey, it's free) at
Volunteers are unearthing history at the old Murphey plantation site near Trinity, Ala. The Alabama Historical Commission is giving the public a glimpse into how archaeologists unearth historical sites and their belongings. A reader who sent this item noted "We used all volunteers in a preservation partnership. ... If we make this work we might be able to show other large corporations the benefits of public interest archaeology. "
Amen! Read the May 18 story from The Decatur Daily News at
In the foundation of one long-demolished Louisiana building, archaeologists found bits of horseshoes, bits and harnesses, and a bottle half full of Mexican Mustang Liniment. Read about it at
Has the home of Georgia's founder Gen. James Oglethorpe been found?
A site on St. Simons Island on the Georgia coast is headed for a federal land swap and excavation, according to a May 25 story in The Brunswick News. Read it at
Three hundred years after their forebears were driven out of Florida, members of a little-known tribe want to return -- for their past and for the right to have casinos. Read the May 28 story in The Miami Herald at
NorthCarolina dig unearths Native American artifacts
Archaeology digs at a local historic site in Boone, N.C., show the presence of ancient Indian artifacts. Read the May 26 story in The Mountain Times at
Divers recover cannons from presumed Blackbeard wreck
FORT MACON STATE PARK, N.C. -- Underwater archaeologists with the state and a private salvage company on May 24 recovered two cannons from what is believed to be the wreck of the Queen Anne's Revenge, the flagship of the pirate Blackbeard.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Historic Preservation Division and The Ossabaw Island Foundation said May 23 they will sponsor archaeological excavations on Ossabaw Island, near Savannah, Ga.
Excavations at “the Bead Maker’s Midden” site are being carried out by archaeologist Dr. Charles Pearson and a small group of volunteers. Pearson discovered the Bead Maker's Midden site in 1974 while conducting the fieldwork for his Ph.D. During excavations at that time, he found a variety of artifacts, including stone drills and numerous pieces of worked whelk shell. These drills and the partially ground and drilled whelk shell fragments are debris resulting from the production of shell beads and other shell ornaments, which would have been for the craftsmen's own use or for trade.
This current archaeological fieldwork promises another glimpse into a very old industry. Dr. Pearson stated, “Almost nothing is known about this prehistoric craft in coastal Georgia. The Bead Maker’s Midden site provides a unique opportunity to collect information on shell bead production at the end of the prehistoric era 500 years ago.”
Ronnie Rogers, DNR staff archaeologist agrees. “Dr. Pearson’s excavations are providing us with window into a little-known part of Georgia’s past.” Upon completion of the excavation project, a report of the findings will be submitted to DNR. A synopsis of the study results will be posted on HPD’s Web site.
The Ossabaw Island Foundation encourages natural, scientific and cultural study, research and education on Ossabaw Island and conserves and protects Ossabaw Island's unique resources, in partnership with the State of Georgia for the benefit of present and future generations. Visit their Web site for more information and photos of the project at http://www.ossabawisland.org/projects-tabby_houses.htm
The Historic Preservation Division serves as Georgia’s state historic preservation office. Its mission is to promote the preservation and use of historic places for a better Georgia. HPD’s programs include archaeology protection and education, environmental review, grants, historic resource surveys, tax incentives, community planning and technical assistance, and the National Register of Historic Places. For more information, please call 404-656-2840 or visit www.gashpo.org
200-year-old fort found on Georgia coast
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported May 19 on the discovery of a Revolutionary War-era fort on Georgia's coast. Discovered by archaeologists hired by the developer of a new residential community because of Corps of Engineers requirements, excavations have been ongoing for six months.
Archaeologist debunks beliefs about North America's original settlers
Archaeologists once believed the New World's original settlers were big-game hunters who migrated from Asia to North America during the last Ice Age. Maritime cultures, such as California's Chumash Indians, were thought to have been among the last to appear, as people gradually developed the skills necessary for seafaring and marine hunting and gathering.
In a May 18 presentation that may be of interest to Southeastern archaeologists pondering the implications of the Topper site, archaeologist Mark Raab discussed how recent research in California's Channel Islands has shown that seafaring peoples must be counted among North America's earliest settlers. “Excavations on San Clemente Island show that between 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, islanders possessed seafaring capabilities and maritime economies as sophisticated as those of native coastal groups of the early historic era. After a century of neglect and misdirection, the study of coastal prehistory is emerging as one of archaeology's most important research frontiers,” he said.
``The best thing you can do is embrace the economic reality because, if you don't, it's going to go right over you, so you just try to maximize the [archaeological] return.''
That's a quote from an April 24 story in The Miami Herald about Bob Carr, who worked for 21 years as Miami-Dade County's lead archaeologist and now runs the nonprofit Archaeological and Historical Conservancy.
This site requires registration, which is a pain, but hey it's free.
Altamaha Preserve home to rich area history
This summer, Altamaha Town Preserve, a 100-acre park in South Carolina's low country, will open to the public. The site, believed to hold 10 Yemassee towns, was was purchased through a land-buying referendum passed by voters with help from the Trust for Public Land.
Read the April 25 story, which interviews archaeologist Chester DePratter of the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology, in The Beaufort Gazette at
A south Mississippi school construction project turned up a potentially significant archaeological site. Read the April 28 story in the Sun Herald and April 26 DeSoto Times story, with interviews with University of Memphis archaeology professor Dr. David Dye, at
