Digging up the past

Archaeology students and their professor at Augusta State University are busy digging up the past, as they unearth a cistern near Fanning Hall, one of campus’ oldest buildings.

Dr. Chris Murphy, professor of history and anthropology, is leading students on the dig, searching for artifacts relating to the former Augusta Arsenal, the area’s previous tenant.

“It will be interesting to see how it was made, and hopefully find some datable artifacts to know when it was closed,” Murphy said. The cistern, used to store water underground, is at least 125 years old, but it likely dates back to the 1820s, when the ‘quad’ was built, he surmised.

Murphy located the cistern from a map dating back to 1875. The map marked the location of several cisterns around campus, some of which have been unearthed during earlier development, while others lay buried and dormant, waiting to divulge their secrets of the past.

During previous digs on campus, Murphy has found ceramics, smoking pipes, and even a 1782 Spanish half peso.

“Archaeology is important for several reasons,” he said. “One, it serves a teaching function. Secondly, people are always fascinated by the past. There’s just something about finding and handling… an actual object from the past.

“Finally, it’s important to augment, and in dramatic instances, correct the written record,” Murphy said.

May is National Archaeology Month, and the Augusta Archaeological Society is sponsoring an Artifact Identification Day on Saturday, May 25, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., at the Ezekiel Harris House, 1822 Broad St. ASU Professor Chris Murphy and other archaeologists will be available to help you identify and classify your historic artifacts. The house will also be open for tours. The event is free.