Archeology Field School Program

Student-focused research in the Archeology Field School summer program provides an opportunity for hands-on learning in surveying, mapping, documentation and excavation methods in an active archeological recovery environment in southwest Georgia.

For the last five years, assistant professor of anthropology Jennifer Birch and PhD candidate Stefan Brannan have co-directed the Singer-Moye Archaeological Settlement History Project (SMASH) at Singer-Moye Mounds in the lower Chattahoochee River Valley. In that time, more than 30 students have received training in archaeological field and laboratory methods at the site. The 2017 UGA Field School in Archaeology included four UGA undergraduates and two graduate students from the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois. Excavations were focused on exploring structures and midden deposits close to the largest mound at the site in order to help explain activities conducted within the site’s elite precinct during its 400-year occupational history.

Notable finds included finely-made ceramics, chipped stone tools, worked shell, and animal bone which may provide evidence of feasting. At the base of the excavation, wall trench structures were encountered which provide a glimpse of the site’s earliest inhabitants. The project continues this week in the UGA Laboratory of Archaeology where students will process and analyze finds made during this field season.

Another fantastic experiential learning program for our students that involves pre-professional training and an unforgettable summer. Thanks to Dr. Birch for the update and the photos from this year. Read the Singer-Moye blog for continuing updates.