When it comes to digging up one of the oldest buildings at the University of Georgia for a renovation project, workers probably never imagined they’d encounter an archeological treasure chest of finds, including a bowl dating back 500 years, wood from 1832, and a baseball game ticket for the university that cost 50 cents to purchase. In this article, you will find the details of the never-ending discoveries.
The Never-Ending Treasures of the University of Georgia
Only after a couple of weeks, the artifacts continue to emerge. Interesting details of the latest finds on the campus site include:
· The baseball game ticket has some letters missing due to age, but there is enough information to indicate that the ticket indeed cost 50 cents and was issued by the UGA Athletic Association’s Baseball Department. The hunt is now on for an individual with enough Bulldog athletic history knowledge to assist in dating the ticket.
· A brick floor that no one knew was in existence was located 7 feet below the present ground level of the New College. It looks like the remains of a garden wall may also reside outside of the building facing Herty Field. Now the question remains as to whether or not another building was erected on the site before the original New College was constructed in 1819.
· Massive beams that date back to 1832 were uncovered while workers removed the interior of the building to prepare for new walls and floors.
The most interesting of all the finds is a small bowl that is around 500 years old. In its nearly intact state , this is quite a rare discovery. The history of this piece of pottery is a mystery that researchers would like to solve. How did it end up in the remains of the original building, which burned in 1830? It seems that it is connected to a time period of Native American culture in Georgia that lasted from around 1350 to 1600, a long time before the first classes took place on campus in 1801.
Other archeology news that hit the headlines in August 2009 include:
- In Mexico, road crews have uncovered a Mayan altar dating back to the Early Classic period that was once taken apart to protect it from damage. Each stone was registered and could be put into its original placement if the structure needed to be rebuilt.
- In the southern part of Golan Heights at the site of Susita, three figurines depicting the goddess Aphrodite (or Venus) were uncovered. According to a representative of the University of Haifa, the figurine would have been offered to the goddess in a temple or placed above beds.
- Found a bog in County Kildare, the National Museum of Ireland is investigating an oak barrel filled with butter dating back 3,000 years that has been discovered.
- Archeologists believe they have found evidence of a port dating back 1,600 years in the ancient city of Bathonea , located close to Istanbul. The local people had alerted researchers to what was believed to be a “mineret” in the lake, which turned out to be one of the most significant lighthouses in the ancient world.
- In the south part of India, more than 1,000 cannonballs have been uncovered at a school that date back 150 years and once belonged to the British Army.