FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 10, 2009

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgc.edu

Spanish calling cards on the Ocmulgee: Making sense of an archaeological puzzle

Three years of archaeological exploration on the lower Ocmulgee River have revealed unanticipated but very powerful evidence of early Spanish exploration.

Sixteenth-century artifacts indicate direct contact between Indian people and early explorers. But who were these Spanish intruders? Learn how archaeologists tackle this and other important questions when Dennis Blanton, curator of Native American Archaeology with the Fernbank Museum, speaks at South Georgia College on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The presentation will take place inside the William S. Smith Library.

Dennis, an SGC alum, is the lead archaeologist at the Ocmulgee site and will discuss the important discoveries his team has made in three years of excavation at the site. The artifacts Dennis’s team has found is challenging conventional thought on Spanish presence in southern Georgia, and could very possibly re-write the history books regarding this time period. The presentation is free and open to the public.

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is a two-year institution in the University System of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty.