Bend in the Broad III 2016 - Passport in Time

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Georgia - Chattahoochee-Oconee NF
Closed! On the Cusp of History: Test Excavations at Site 9ST62

Site 9ST62 by USDA Forest Service/Holly Krake
Site 9ST62


GA-4274
March 7-11, 2016

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Around 1600, a house burned at a family farmstead in a remote mountain valley in Northeast Georgia. Today, archaeologists from the Forest Service, the consulting firm Southern Research, and the University of Georgia are trying to answer questions about who may have been living at this site, now designated “Site 9ST62,” and what they were doing here. The time between the appearance of Spanish explorers in 1540 and English traders in 1670 was a period of great instability and disruption for the American Indian occupants of the region. Because of the rarity of archaeological sites in Georgia dating to this period, our work at this site could provide significant and important information on a poorly known, but critical time in regional history. As archaeologist Dean Wood notes “This site really opens new windows on Native American history at a time when the social fabric of those cultures was being ripped apart.”

Previous PIT projects at the site exposed the edge of a house and its central hearth. This spring, PIT volunteers and archaeologists will return to carry out additional excavations and site testing. During this portion of our field work, we will focus on exposing as much of the house as possible. Our work will be a significant contribution to archaeological research in Northeast Georgia. We hope you will join us in March for this unique and important project!

Number of openings: 8

Special skills: Previous archaeological excavation/testing, survey, mapping, artifact identification (especially Late Mississippian), sketching, and/or photography experience helpful, but not required
 
Minimum age: 10 years old, under 18 with a responsible adult

Facilities: Tent and small (pop-up) RV camping permitted on site at no charge; chemical toilet, no potable water; Hotels/motels, restaurants, and a range of other amenities available in towns of Cornelia and Commerce; volunteers responsible for own lodging/personal camping equipment, food, water, and daily transportation to and from designated meeting area (if opting for in-town accommodations)

Nearest towns: Cornelia, 8 miles; Toccoa, 11 miles; Commerce, 28 miles

Applications due: February 1, 2016
 
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