Archaeology in the Pandemic

From 2020 to 2023 the LAMAR Institute released nine new archaeological reports in its LAMAR Institute Publication Series. Reports 226 through 235 cover a wide range of exciting archaeological topics on its projects in Georgia, Germany, New York, and South Carolina. All of these reports are available for free public download at the LAMAR Institute’s website (http://thelamarinstitute.org). 

The Struggle for Long Island: Expanding Revolutionary War Studies in New York, LIPS Report 226 is a battlefield survey of three Revolutionary War era battlefields on Long Island, New York. Authored by Daniel Elliott and David Griffin, this study was funded by a National Park Service, American Battlefield Survey research grant. The three battlefields examined were Lloyd’s Neck/Fort Franklin, Fort Slongo, and Setauket. Archaeological remains were located at all three battlefields.

“The Work of Today is the History of Tomorrow and We are Its Makers” Archaeology at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, LIPS Report 227 provides a rare glimpse of early to mid-18th through mid-19th century life in urban Savannah, Georgia. Authored by Rita Elliott and Daniel Elliott, these excavations explored two major periods of life in Savannah.

Elemental Analysis of Selected Brass Artifacts from the Adkins Site in Florida, LIPS Report 228 is a nuclear physics study of several early 19th century Seminole brass projectile points recovered from an archaeological site in Florida. Authored by Daniel Elliott, this pXRF analysis of these Native American weapon parts provides insight into the elemental composition of the metal weapons used by the Seminoles in Florida in the early to mid-19th century.

Elemental Analysis of Four Lead Musket Balls from the 1813 Battle of the Nations, Leipzig, Germany, LIPS Report 229 is another elemental analysis of early 19th-century ammunition from a major battlefield in Germany.

Archeological Search for Ruff’s Mill Battlefield: Linchpin in Atlanta’s Fall, LIPS Report 230 is a slightly-modified version of a battlefield survey report submitted to the American Battlefield Protection Program, National Park Service. The battle of Ruff’s Mill took place on July 3 and 4, 1864 in the Nickajack Creek watershed of once-rural Cobb County, Georgia. This detailed report explores the historical documents, the metal underworld, and surviving vestiges of the defensive earthworks built by the Confederate and Union soldiers on this sprawling battlefield. Videographer Mark Albertin produced a short video documentary about the project, which is available at the LAMAR Institute’s website and on Youtube (http://youtu.be/z-TRea0-BGE).

Ground Penetrating Radar Survey and Mapping of the Richmond Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Port Wentworth, Georgia, LIPS Report 231 is a remote sensing survey of a post-1912 church cemetery in northern Chatham County, Georgia. The suvey includes GPR survey, tombstone mapping, and grave photodocumentation of this historic African-american congregation’s resting place.

Archaeological Search for Fort Heard/Fort Washington and Discovery of Washington Town and Gulleytown in Wilkes County, Georgia, LIPS Report 232 is the story of the LAMAR Institute’s search for an important Revolutionary War-era Wilkes County militia fort that was located in what would become Washington, Georgia. The study employed historical research, GPR survey, metal detection, limited shovel testing and test excavation in the failed attempt to locate this fort. While the fort was not located by the survey, the search did reveal important archaeological deposits associated with early Washington (ca. 1790-1820s) and the African-american settlement of Gulley Town (ca. 1865-1950s).

Preliminary Investigation of the Rocky Bottom Piled-Stone Complex (38PN126), Pickens County, South Carolina, LIPS Report 233 is a study of a unique archaeological site in the mountains of South Carolina. The LAMAR Institute’s team, led by rock art authority Johannes Loubser, documented an extensive complex of stacked rock walls on a moderately steep mountain slope. The project includedd detailed mapping of the rock piles and rock walls, and closer scrutiny at one location along a well preserved wall section. That area was explored by GPR survey and a small test unit excavation. The test unit was placed in an attempt to determine the age of the rock wall construction. One AMS Carbon 14 date was secured from wood charcoal at the bottom of this test unit, which strongly suggests that the walls may have been built by the Cherokee in early historic times. Two soil samples were submitted from the basal zones of this test unit for Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating and the results of that analysis are expected later in 2023.

Ground Penetrating Radar Survey of the Union United Methodist Church Cemetery, Bulloch County, Georgia, LIPS Report 234 is a remote sensing survey of a post-1912 church cemetery in northern Chatham County, Georgia. The suvey includes GPR survey, tombstone mapping, and grave photodocumentation of this historic African-american congregation’s resting place.

Of Patent Medicines and Chinese Laundries: Archaeology at the Kennedy Pharmacy, LIPS Report 235 is a report on archaeological testing on the Historic Savannah Foundation’s “Kennedy Pharmacy” grounds in historic Savannah, Georgia. The LAMAR Institute’s work included historical research, GPR survey, and two test unit excavations.