Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center at the Depot (GOCHC) in partnership with Ocmulgee Archaeological Society (OAS) will be hosting Milledgeville Archaeology Day on Aug. 13.
“Milledgeville has a very unique history and story to tell and should be preserved as an integral and vital part of this area of the state,” said Ashley Quinn, president of the Ocmulgee Archaeological Society, “The Ocmulgee Archaeological Society strives to support that historical preservation and archaeological education during each Archaeology Day.”
The Ocmulgee Archaeological Society was established in 2003 to serve the greater Middle Georgia area in an educational and scientific manner to preserve archaeological resources. Archaeology Days are hosted annually by OAS throughout 23 counties in the Middle Georgia area.
“Our mission is to identify, interpret, preserve and communicate the history, art, and cultural heritage of Milledgeville, Baldwin County and the Oconee River Basin,” said Amy Wright, executive director of GOCHC. “So, with our former museum, we began a partnership that would let us offer the community a connection to the archaeological history of our area.”
GOCHC originally partnered with the Middle Georgia Archaeology Club in 2007. Milledgeville Archaeolog Day was set up at the museum on the ground floor of the Old Capitol Building as an exhibit. The museum would have visitors coming to learn more about arrowheads, spear points, pottery and more
“We eventually hosted our first Artifact Identification Day, and it was so popular, we partnered with the OAS to make the event an annual affair, and it continued with our relocation to The Just Imagine Cottage at The Depot,” said Wright. “We have been hosting Milledgeville Archaeology Day ever since then.”
The event will have multiple educational and fun activities for all ages including artifact identification, pottery making, Native American Lifeways, a guest speaker and tour of the Memory Hill Cemetery. In addition to these activities, this year, OAS has invited the Southeastern Research & Middle Georgia Preservation Alliance to be involved because of their research and representation overlap that includes Baldwin County and Milledgeville.
“The archaeology and history of a place are two subjects very frequently overlooked in most people’s lives. The history of an area tells us who lived here before and how their lives impacted the present. The archaeology of an area will tell through evidence of objects or clues left behind, how those people lived and what their day-to-day life entailed,” said Quinn.
OAS and GOCHC believe in preserving and teaching the historical value of an area. According to Quinn, losing a connection with history results in people not caring about prehistorical and historical structures or resources. History and archeology help to identify an area, its past and its present so ignoring those aspects of an area, the organizations believe, results in losing part of an area’s identity.
“I am hoping that we can help attendees of our event realize the importance of their local history. Through understanding the archaeology and history of one’s home and community, hopefully they will become more active in preserving them for future generations,” said Quinn.
Milledgeville Archaeology Day is on Aug. 13 from noon to 4 p.m. at 95 Depot Circle Drive. A free tour of the Memory Hill Cemetery will follow the day’s events from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Other upcoming events with Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center at the Depot include living history tours at the Brown-Stetson-Sanford House that start in September, the popular Antiques, Collectibles, and Other Great Stuff Sale in October, and a fundraising event on GA Gives Day on Nov. 29 to support The Depot renovation.