This instructional program provides a basic overview of the science of archaeology, and what archaeologists have learned about the prehistory and early history of Northwest Georgia. The program focuses on the Native American inhabitants of the Coosawattee River valley of Gordon and neighboring Murray Counties, including not only the familiar Cherokee Indians, but also their predecessors in this area. Students and audiences will learn about the importance and fragility of the archaeological record, and what this record teaches us about the long history of cultural development among American Indian groups, and how these groups interacted with their natural environment over the course of nearly 12,000 years.


Some questions addressed during the program include:

• What is archaeology, and how and why do archaeologists learn about the past?
• Why are geography, geology, ecology, and other sciences important for understanding ancient human cultures?
• How and when did the first American Indians arrive in Northwest Georgia?
• How did human cultures change over the centuries, and how do such changes relate to human population growth and limitations on food and other resources?
• What cultures existed in Northwest Georgia at the time of first European contact in the 16th century, and how did they differ from earlier and later human cultures, including our own?
• What happened to the prehistoric chiefdom known as Coosa after the Hernando de Soto expedition in 1540, and where did the Northwest Georgia Cherokees come from? (HINT: the Cherokees were an immigrant group that did not originally live in Northwest Georgia)