Archaeological Survey begins at
Nash Farm Battlefield
January 31, 2007
Approximately one year after Henry County saved the 204-acre Nash Farm Battlefield from development by purchasing the land and converting it into a park, an archaeological survey has commenced on the property. As part of the study, surveyors will meticulously map the site and catalog the relics to ensure history is properly and accurately recorded and preserved. The survey, which is being conducted by the LAMAR Institute, Inc., has been fully funded by a Georgia Local Assistance Grant in the amount of $10,000 supplemented with $2,500 in funding from the LAMAR Institute.
The work is essentially an archaeological “dig” which involves tilling different topographic portions of the battlefield and systematically surveying the plow strips using metal detectors and ground penetrating radar technology to locate, map and catalog the artifacts found at the site. From this information, a more detailed and accurate understanding of the military terrain will be obtained, which will, in turn, result in a richer historical experience for visitors to the battlefield.
After only six hours on the job, Dan Elliott, President of the LAMAR Institute and project director, and his associate, Dan Battle, an archaeological technician, were thrilled to have already uncovered more than 100 artifacts from just one plow strip. The findings, which included both Union and Confederate ammunition as well as horseshoes and bridle rings, are indicative of a cavalry raid. This coincides with historical research that has identified this location as related to two important battles in the American Civil War: Kilpatrick’s Union Cavalry Raid on Lovejoy and the final military action in the Battle of Jonesboro.
“To find this much so quickly in such a compact location is not typical,” said Elliott. “And it is rarer still to find concentrations of cavalry artifacts because they are so fast moving and because so little in Georgia has been charted and preserved. Henry County has done a wonderful thing by preserving the history here.”
The archaeological survey will be completed in two weeks. All artifacts will be cleaned and prepared for curation, which is expected to be at the Nash Farmhouse once it is converted into a museum.
New!
You can read the preliminary report
here.
