Native American history

Tom Gresham holds one of the maps detailing Native American sites in Oglethorpe County at UGA’s Archaeological Laboratory this spring. He said the Native Americans in the region lived on farmsteads, which include houses for the extended family. (Photo/Emily Slepsky)

Tom Gresham holds one of the maps detailing Native American sites in Oglethorpe County at UGA’s Archaeological Laboratory this spring. He said the Native Americans in the region lived on farmsteads, which include houses for the extended family. (Photo/Emily Slepsky)

Uncovering Oglethorpe’s Native American past

Jet Rawls and Emily Slepsky
Thursday, July 17, 2025
The Native American history of Oglethorpe County has remained largely unexplored, with its presence faintly echoed in local landmarks and scattered archaeological finds.
James Wettstaed shows pictures of a Stephens County excavation site he worked on during his presentation at the Historic Oglethorpe County meeting on March 28. Volunteer excavations that spanned from 2014 to 2018 unearthed two distinct hearths, proving that one house had been there in the early 1500s, and another in the late 1500s. (Photo/Maddie Daniel)

James Wettstaed shows pictures of a Stephens County excavation site he worked on during his presentation at the Historic Oglethorpe County meeting on March 28. Volunteer excavations that spanned from 2014 to 2018 unearthed two distinct hearths, proving that one house had been there in the early 1500s, and another in the late 1500s. (Photo/Maddie Daniel)

Archaeologist draws packed house

Maddie Daniel
Thursday, April 6, 2023
The meeting was standing-room only, with nearly 70 attendees gathered in the Oglethorpe County Library.    “I think we’re gonna have to expand the parking lot out there!” Historic Oglethorpe president Kathleen deMarrais joked.   The reason for the unprecedented turnout?