Date: May 17, 2010
Contact: Ellen Strojan, 912-638-3639
Superintendent Mary Beth Wester is pleased to welcome visitors to a community archaeology festival at Fort Frederica National Monument on Saturday, May 22, 2010 from 10-4 pm. The festival is funded in part by a public outreach grant from the Southeastern Archaeology Conference and the continuing support of the Fort Frederica Association. Entrance to the festival is free.
The festival is in conjunction with the state of Georgia’s archaeology month. Visitors will interact with the past through hands-on discovery stations that highlight different aspects of the archaeological process; however, there will be no actual excavations. Stations will include the Society for Georgia Archaeology’s Archaeobus, which is a mobile archaeology education unit that travels around the state to promote public awareness of the archaeological resources in Georgia. Others stations will feature research, lab analysis, classification, preservation, and ethics activities. Children will receive an activity sheet entitled “Festival Field Notes” that will guide them through the scientific methods of archaeology.
Archaeology has occurred at the site since the very earliest days of the National Park Service’s stewardship. It has provided amazing details about the lifestyles of Frederica’s residents. According to park Superintendent Mary Beth Wester, “Archaeology is one of the main ways the National Park Service has learned about Frederica’s past. It provides with an opportunity to reach into the past and touch our colonial history.”
Coastal Georgia is rich in historic archaeological sites. Fort Frederica National Monument is one of the coastal region’s premier archaeological resources. The park is located at 6515 Frederica Road on St. Simons Island.
For more information, contact the park visitor center at (912) 638-3639.
