Although Savannah, Georgia, is well-known for its historic preservation, the archaeology, unseen by most, has been mostly forgotten. As a result, many archaeological sites have been destroyed. Digging Savannah, a grant-funded program at Armstrong Atlantic State University, engages students in solving the problem of archaeological site loss in Savannah.

This app allows you to visit archaeology sites that have been explored and are on property open to the public. This is only a small sampling of archaeological sites around Savannah, as nearly every historic building sits on an archaeological site. Remember: It is illegal to dig on public land, and ill-advised to dig on private land. City of Savannah, state, and federal laws prohibit all digging on public property.

Taking artifacts from an archaeology site is like taking words out of a Shakespeare play. The words don’t make any sense without their surrounding context of sentences and paragraphs. Artifacts don’t mean anything without their surrounding context of soil layers, artifacts, and features like foundations and hearths.

Learn more about the Digging Savannah project at https://diggingsavannah.wordpress.com

or find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiggingSavannah.