bluemoonstruck
bluemoonstruck
Joined:
December 21, 2010
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Post subject: Discovery of Ancient Muskogee Village |
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The Native Collection is a group of over 800 artifacts discovered in 2007 at a Creek (Lower Muskogee) village in Lamar County, Georgia. They came from the Early (8, OOO B.C.-6, OOO B.C.) to Middle (6, OOO B.C.-3, OOO B.C.) Archaic Age and represent several point types including Palmer, Stanley, Guilford, Elk River and Morrow Mountain.
An assortment of scrapers, sea shells, knives, flakes, spearheads, arrowheads, and crystals are exhibited. The crystals discovered at the sites were likely used as amulets to facilitate physical healing, good fortune and spiritual enlightenment. Some of the artifacts are not finished because they broke while being made and were discarded. However, these stones are invaluable sources of information because they reveal the initial procedures used to make them.
The Native Collection is different from many other private collections, which often consists of perfect to near perfect artifacts bought or discovered from different locations. Most of the Native Collection's artifacts are fractured; just a few are intact. Together they sum total the story of a Lower Muskogee people who lived at one village for thousands of years.
Each artifact makes a unique contribution to better understanding the village and the people who lived there. The artifacts are some of the finest examples of Native artwork found in Georgia. Research presented about the village and Native Collection is the first documented ancient history of Lamar County.
This exhibition also features deer antlers and a turtle shell. Antlers were a multi-purpose resource in Native society. They were made into jewelry, whistles, charms, needles, rakes, bows, and tools used to make points and scrapers. Turtle shells were especially sacred to Native people who were often buried with them. They were thought to be symbolic expressions of spiritual protection and safe passage to the next world. Shells were also made into rattles. The shell exhibited in the Native Collection is from Georgia and is classified as having belonged to a River Cooter turtle. Several prominent point types, pottery shards and tools are not part of this exhibition because they belong to the private collection of the property owners.
The Native Collection is in compliance with Georgia law, code section 12-3-621. All artifacts were surface collected on private property and written permission was provided by the owners to search for and keep them. None of the artifacts were taken from a grave site or are associated with burial objects. The turtle shell was donated by the Georgia Forsyth office of the Department of Natural Resources, Nongame Conservation Section; the antlers came from Georgia deer and are approved for exhibition by the Georgia Game Management Region.The discovery of the village and artifacts found there were reported to the Georgia Historic Preservation office.
Bluemoonstruck |
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