Project Essay: Exhibits at the Waring Lab

Jen Glaze
November 3, 2022

Dr. Ann McCleary (Chair)

Dr. Nadya Williams
Dr. Michael de Nie
2

Sarah Love from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) approached

Andy Carter, the Curator of Collections at the Antonio J. Waring, Jr. Archaeological Laboratory,

about working on a traveling exhibit after seeing Waring Lab’s Long Swamp exhibit in 2017.

The general purpose of the traveling exhibition, according to GDNR, was to supplement their

public archaeology outreach events with an introduction to Georgia’s complex archaeological

past using their unprovenanced collection. The laboratory agreed, but the project was placed on

hold as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation. Work began in earnest at the end of May

2021 when I joined the Waring lab as a summer intern and completed UWG’s required one-

hundred and fifty hours of work. This work evolved into a Graduate Research Assistantship

(GRA) where I dived into exhibit planning, intending to see the project through its proposal

phase and onward. Soon, a simple idea grew into the exhibit titled Journey through Georgia’s

Archaeological Past.

The purpose of this essay is to explore the exhibit’s need within the greater realm of

public history and public archaeology. This essay will also detail Journey’s goal, mission, and

how we utilized GDNR’s type collection. Reflecting on the vast lessons I have learned through

Journey, I will tie in my understanding of responsible stewardship throughout this essay, and the

necessity for outreach programs in both public history and public archaeology.

The Antonio J. Waring, Jr. Archaeological Laboratory is an archaeological repository on

the University of West Georgia’s campus. A repository operates as a curatorial facility for

artifacts under agreement and trust. Some of the most common repositories are museums,

academic repositories (the Waring lab, for example), historical societies, tribal museums and

cultural centers, government repositories, and archives.1 The laboratory provides ample

opportunities for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels to learn about and participate
1
“Types of Repositories.” NPS, Archeology Program, https://www.nps.gov/archeology/collections/repos_01.htm
3

in archaeological curation and exhibit practices. According to its website, the Waring lab “strives

to enhance its contributions to Georgia’s academic, governmental, private sector, and public

archaeological community.”2 By partnering with organizations such as GDNR, the laboratory

continues to follow its goal to enhance its contribution to the field—a partnership to which I am

glad to have contributed.

I am interested in archaeology and wanted to consider how the public history and

archaeology fields intersected. Joining the Waring lab as an intern meant learning how a

repository operates—and what the term “repository” meant—and understanding the research and

curation processes. Ultimately, the lab cultivates new knowledge for anyone who enters the

doors. Whether it is a student who is interested in volunteering opportunities or a parent curious

about their child’s work, the lab offers excellent insight into archaeology at work.

Many may consider Egypt or Greece regarding archaeology, but Georgia has a vast and

complex archaeological past. My supervisor, Andy Carter, and Waring’s Executive Director, Dr.

Nathan Lawres, advised me to spend the summer internship researching Georgia’s

archaeological history from the Paleo through Historic periods to have a foundational

understanding of the topic before setting up exhibit themes. At the time, the Journey project had

been at a stand-still in a pre-production stage and was simply known as “the DNR Exhibit.”

Thus, I became the sole contributor to the exhibit with the assistance of Carter and Dr. Lawres as

sounding boards, mentors, sometimes-editors, brainstormers, and partners on the project.

The goal of the Journey exhibit was to never produce Ph.D. candidates, or to even

provide a complete, in-depth look into Georgia’s archaeological periods. To create an exhibit

2
“The Laboratory.” The Waring Laboratory. University of West Georgia, July 7, 2022.
https://www.westga.edu/academics/art-culture-science/anthro-psych-soc/anthropology/waring-lab/the-
laboratory.php.
4

detailing the entirety of Georgia’s archaeological past would entail an entirely different approach

and a few more GRAs throughout the years. Instead, the exhibit served as an introduction to

Georgia’s archaeology while utilizing GDNR’s “type collection,” which were objects most likely

unprovenanced over time––for one reason or another. Regarding Journey’s collection, Andy

Carter stated:

Collections standards and best practices continuously change and improve with
time, and parks or historic sites didn't always employ museum professionals.
Overall, human error has and always will exist. These can all lead to objects being
separated from their collections and associated records. Some may have been
found and turned in by visitors as well. A lot of research value is lost when
artifacts lose their contexts. As a result, they can just sit on a shelf somewhere and
collect dust. Creating education and type collections like the one GDNR
generated gives those objects a second life.3

Thus, organizations that hold these artifacts in trust through the Native American Graves

Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), such as the Waring Lab or GDNR, must assess

their collections and ensure correct curation standards remain in place. Throughout time,

indigenous objects and human remains were routinely subjected to collecting and sorting

procedures that stripped them of their meaning and context.4

Though the Journey exhibit’s type collection did not include any objects under

NAGPRA, there remained necessary measurements to warrant correct and adequate ways to

discuss the Georgia’s complex past. By utilizing the type collection, which included an array of

pre-Historic period objects such as pottery sherds, projectile points, pipe stems, and a hand axe,

the Journey team sought specific methods for defining the exhibit’s mission and overarching

themes for each panel. These methods included considering past experiences with

communicating with tribal entities for approval, consulting with GDNR to ensure needs were

3
Andrew Carter, email message to author, October 28, 2022.
4
Bruchac, M.M., Lost and Found: NAGPRA, Scattered Relics, and Restorative Methodologies. Museum
Anthropology, 33: 137-156. 2010. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1379.2010.01092.x
5

met, and utilizing exhibit methodology to drive the exhibit. A section of the Journey exhibit’s

mission states that Journey will act as a

“mobile public outreach initiative that strives to connect Georgia’s general public
to their vibrant and complex archaeological past […] Exhibit elements will not
only share stories about our collective past, but explain how we learn these stories
from the materials we leave behind, foster a sense of responsibility to become
good stewards of our cultural resources, and encourage visitors to continue their
learning experience outside the exhibit space, specifically through visiting GDNR
parks and historic sites.”5

The mission statement became the foundation for the exhibit. Using the mission statement, the

Journey team sought thematic elements that would both educate visitors and foster their desire to

learn more about Georgia’s complex archaeological past. In turn, we hoped to interpret the past

in a way to convey the importance of leaving found artifacts in their place.

An important factor we wanted to discuss through the exhibit’s thematic elements was

the need for responsible land stewardship. Sarah Love mentioned that individuals often brought

found artifacts into DNR offices, so many objects in the Journey exhibit are unprovenienced.

Provenience, according to the Archaeological Institute of America, encompasses the three-

dimensional location in which an artifact is found.6 Artifacts without provenience, or

provenance, leave little room for professionals to gather appropriate data on a past culture. Thus,

the ability to appropriately label the artifact and educate the public on the object’s period, place,

and people become lost.

However, as Carter stated, many unprovenanced objects have little research value, but

gain a second life through educational programs such as public outreach events. We utilized the

type collection as one tool to discuss an array of themes (migration, trade, foodways,

5
Carter, Andy, Dr. Nate Lawres, and Jen Glaze. 2022. “Journey through Georgia’s Archaeological Past.” Exhibit
Proposal. University of West Georgia.
6
“Glossary.” Archaeological Institute of America, February 23, 2022.
https://www.archaeological.org/programs/educators/introduction-to-archaeology/glossary/.
6

technological developments, and so on) depending on the discussed panel. We connected each

object as a piece of the thematic puzzle, reminiscent of Freeman Tilden’s first principle of

museum interpretation: “Any interpretation that does not somehow relate to what is being

displayed or being described to something within the personality or experience of the visitor will

be sterile.”7 Consequently, we ensured each object had their place in the thematic elements in a

manner that seemed accessible and interesting to GDNR’s audience.

Regarding GDNR’s audience expectations, “The primary audience is a general audience

spanning all regions of Georgia. Previous outreach events have included groups that range from

elementary students and families to older adults with an interest in Georgia’s history. Materials

should be aimed at a variety of ages and educational levels, leaving flexibility for GDNR staff to

tailor speech and interpretation to a variety of audiences in person.”8 Indeed, a “general”

audience meant determining themes and content that would meet the needs of all visitors.

According to Beverly Serrell, museum-goers “come to [exhibits] with a variety of interests, but

despite their diversity, they have many expectations and needs in common.”9 Keeping Serrell in

mind, the Journey team utilized another instrument to determine a visitor’s interests and

expectations––a survey. During the production of Waring’s Big Indian Creek exhibit, a similar

exhibit in format and context as the Journey exhibit, the Waring lab distributed surveys to

community stakeholders in the middle Georgia area to understand the community’s

archaeological knowledge and exhibit desires. The survey results concluded that many

individuals generally understood archaeology but wanted to know about the culture and specific

types of found artifacts. Thus, the help of the Big Indian Creek survey, acknowledging GDNR’s

7
“Tilden's Six Principles.” National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. Accessed October 27, 2022.
https://mylearning.nps.gov/library-resources/tildens-six-principles-ace/.
8
Sarah Love, email message to author, April 28, 2022.
9
Serrell, Beverly. Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach. (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 1996), 37.
7

expected audience, and understanding Journey’s type collection allowed us to move forward

with the exhibit content.

Southeastern archaeological periods include the Paleo, Archaic, Woodland,

Mississippian, and Historic, with thousands of years of culture in between. How does one

introduce thousands of years of social, cultural, and technological innovation to a general

audience? Therefore, Journey’s vision and goal became an examination of Southeastern

archaeology through the voice of an archaeologist speaking to the public—much like GDNR’s

archaeologists at public outreach events. The mission statement provided an idea for “Passport”

elements, connecting the specific archaeological period to a DNR site in Georgia. For example,

the Archaic panel features Sapelo Island for its Archaic shell rings; the Woodland panel

highlights the Kolomoki site and its inconsistent settlement patterns; the Mississippian panel

discusses the Etowah Mounds as an insight into the Mississippian chiefdom; and the Historic

panel juggles many Historic sites in Georgia, from colonial Fort King George to the Civil War’s

Fort McAllister. Conclusively, Journey’s vision became a guideline to discussing Georgia’s past

and assisted with defining the exhibit’s themes for each panel.

The exhibit’s themes comprised each archaeological period in Georgia, including an

introduction panel, conclusion, and separate module on GDNR’s Wormsloe site in Savannah,

Georgia, per GDNR’s request. Each panel’s subtheme correlated with the most engaging content

per the Big Indian Creek survey and Journey’s mission. With those factors in mind, I utilized the

exhibit’s introductory panel to create the tone for the rest of the exhibit. The introductory panel

features subthemes such as "Office of the State Archaeologist," which discusses their role in

DNR, and “Tools of the Trade,” highlighting the essential objects professionals use in the field

and the lab. Another important subtheme is the “In a Name: A Note on Timeline.” This subtheme
8

is the direct result of a question I asked Carter and Dr. Lawres at the beginning of my internship:

What dictates different archaeological periods? Over time, I learned that archaeological periods

are named according to noticeable changes in cultural methods. Ancient people demonstrated

varying practices of creating objects. For example, an archaeologist may notice that designs on

pottery differ from one period to the next. Archaeologists use these design and style patterns to

determine appropriate time periods. However, correctly naming an artifact can be tricky—many

archaeologists often determine an object as “late Archaic or early Woodland,” and determining

the exact date takes much artifact analysis.

One subtheme on the introductory panel is “Only You Can Stop Looting!” which

highlights the importance of land stewardship. The GDNR team received this theme with

positive feedback, but the road to determining the precise content has been a conversation for

debate. The DNR website explicitly states,

Archaeological sites are non-renewable resources [...]Being a good

steward means not picking up artifacts from a site without making a record of
where they were found and not selling artifacts, thereby fueling the looting of
sites for profit. It also means never picking up or digging for artifacts on public
lands or in public waters because those artifacts, and the sites they come from,
belong to all Georgians. Georgia law prohibits digging artifacts from property you
don't own without the written permission of the landowner, including state or
federally owned lands.10
Acts such as “arrowhead” or pottery sherd hunting is a pastime for many people in the state.11

But, what is the right time or place? The Journey team agreed that the language within the label

copy should not be preachy or lecturing but instead educate individuals on the meaning of

10
“Archaeology - General Information.” Department Of Natural Resources Division. Accessed October 6, 2022.
https://gastateparks.org/Archaeology/Info.

11
The term “arrowhead” is a term typically used by the public for this act, but archaeologists typically use the term
“projectile point.” Per GDNR’s review of the proposal, the appropriate term to use for this exhibit would be “lithic-
hunting,” since other items manipulated by humans may also be found during these ventures.
9

provenience and its importance to archaeology. Nonetheless, the introductory panel sets visitors

up with foundational knowledge to begin the remainder of the exhibit.

The following panels feature the main components that characterize each archaeological

period. For example, the Paleo panel focuses on the peopling of North America, differences in

climate, and megafauna traces versus smaller fauna. A key component of the exhibit introduced

in the Paleo panel is the presence of QR elements. According to the National Council on Public

History (NCPH), “digital technologies play an increasingly important role in the work of public

historians, creating new spaces where they share their work and encounter fresh and varied

audiences.”12 QR has become a handy element since the COVID-19 pandemic began and is

presented at museums for various reasons. According to Loic Tallon, digital technology

represents “a powerful way that museums can offer choice and individualized learning

options.”13 Digital elements have allowed us to provide visitors with more information on a topic

or a different insight. For instance, Journey’s Paleo panel includes a QR element called “Echoes

from the Past: In the Beginning,” which intends to highlight the rich and deeply rooted oral

traditions that place tribal origin far earlier than academics suggest. The following panels also

include varying other types of QR elements which intend to detail more contextualized stories,

interviews, and 3D-scanned artifacts so individuals can get a closer look at an object’s detail.

The Archaic through Mississippian panels consist of a similar outline as the Paleo panel,

but the content changes per period. However, the Historic period became a largely discussed

topic during the exhibit planning process. GDNR requested we construct a separate module for

the Wormsloe Plantation site in Savannah, Georgia. This module acts as an “attachable” piece to

12
“About the Field.” National Council on Public History. Accessed October 30, 2022. https://ncph.org/what-is-
public-history/about-the-field/. 
13
Tallon, Loic, and Kevin Walker. Digital Technologies and the Museum Experience: Handheld Guides and Other
Media. (Lanham: Altamira Press, 2008), 20.
10

the traveling exhibit, meaning that the panel and subsequent artifacts may either remain with the

remainder of Journey or become a separate entity at the Wormsloe site. The Historic period

spans from the 1500s through today. Yet, the Wormsloe site has a vast history of colonialism,

enslavement, and the Civil War, and has transformed into a state park in the twentieth century.

We concluded that, perhaps, the Wormsloe panel might act as a Historic period case study. In

our proposal, we utilized the site to discuss the Historic period and its radical cultural changes.

We also discussed the concept of “archaeology at work,” meaning that we would highlight the

specific archaeology work phases and demonstrate Georgian’s “Tax Dollars at Work” through a

subtheme of that name. The Journey team hoped to achieve several factors through Wormsloe,

with high hopes to fit our budget and the allotted space at an outreach event.

Artifact selection was a significant component in selecting the exhibit's main content, as

previously discussed in this essay. GDNR provided a collection of sixty or so artifacts. These

artifacts range in composition—from lithics, ceramics, metals, and cloth — but we utilized

specific objects to tell the Southeastern archaeological story. The book, Active Collections,

provides readers with a large context into how to rethink an organization's collection. Due to

Journey's complex telling of Southeastern indigenous cultures and European settlement during

the Historic period, we decided to lean into the importance of acknowledging America's

complicated past, specifically in the Historic period. Masum Momaya notes to “openly

acknowledge legacies of colonialism, racism, oppression, distortion, and theft,” and also

“establish opportunities for community engagement, co-construction of meaning and

destabilizing the notion of authority as residing in one party” in an organization.14 Journey’s

14
Wood, Elizabeth, Rainey Tisdale, and Trevor Jones. Active Collections. (New York, NY: Routledge, 2018), 16.
11

objects, alongside appropriate label copy in the future, could certainly fulfill Momaya’s mission,

especially in context with the Historic period. .

After selecting the appropriate artifacts provided by GDNR and wrapping up exhibit

themes with the conclusion panel, we sought out furniture, designed floor plans, and created

design mockups of the exhibit. The provided budget—$10,000—began to seem smaller as

portable, durable panels were located, an outdoor tent was sourced for public, outdoor outreach

events, and estimates for exhibit tables were provided by Gaylord Archival. Carter and I detailed

the appropriate expenses in the proposal and requested additional funding from GDNR to count

for inflation since Journey’s conception.

During Spring semester of 2022, the Journey team submitted the Journey proposal to

Sarah Love. After a waiting period, we received highly positive feedback with few notes for

revision. As the Journey team foresaw, one major revision took place with the Wormsloe panel.

GDNR understandably felt that the “attachable” Wormsloe module would take away from the

remaining exhibit if the site borrowed that portion. Luckily, I put together an outline of potential

ideas for a separate Historic period panel, and we have continued with it after GDNR’s

consultation.

I have since resumed working on the Journey exhibit by working on label copy,

procuring the rights to images, and working extensively on concrete panel designs. However, I

must note the “journey” of this graduate research assistantship. The project had highs and lows,

as with any project, yet the breadth of knowledge I obtained is priceless. I became aware of the

importance of having supplemental information at an outreach event when I worked with the

Waring lab during Carrollton’s Mayfest. Visitors asked many questions regarding our work in

detail, and I thought back to public archaeology and public history’s role to the public.
12

Public archaeology and public history are tremendously related. “Public archaeologists,”

according to the Society for American Archaeology, “investigate the outcomes of the various

innovative ways we can engage the public in archaeological research.”15 Outreach programs

often include collaboration between communities, stakeholders, and working professionals.

Similarly, public history takes place beyond an academic setting, may that entail museums,

volunteering for a historical project in one’s community, and so on. According to the NCPH,

“the collaborative approach inspires regular debates about a role for ‘shared authority’ and the

proper place for the ‘professionalization’ of local history.”16 The question is — how do we

engage visitors, whether through public archaeology, public history, or both? Often, outreach

may be a young child’s, or even an adult’s, first introduction to a topic. Determining shared

authority, to me, means giving up some control over history in an academic setting and giving it

to the public. The goal through outreach and public entities is to provide a visitor with an

everlasting experience, and to foster knowledge and curiosity.

I have learned a significant amount of the public history and archaeology fields through

this project. I’m fortunate to have been given this opportunity to foster my own knowledge and

curiosity. Through teamwork with the leadership at Waring lab, communication with sources

such as GDNR, and thinking ahead, I took the knowledge I achieved and created a wonderful

experience. Unfortunately, the Journey proposal will one day become a living entity after I have

already graduated, but I hope to have the amazing opportunity to see its physical form.

15
“What Is Public Archaeology?” Society for American Archaeology, n.d. https://www.saa.org/education-
outreach/public-outreach/what-is-public-archaeology.

16
“About the Field.” National Council on Public History. Accessed October 30, 2022.
https://ncph.org/what-is-public-history/about-the-field/. 
13

Works Cited

Primary

Carter, Andrew, email message to author, October 28, 2022.

Carter, Andy, Dr. Nate Lawres, and Jen Glaze. 2022. “Journey through Georgia’s Archaeological
Past.” Exhibit Proposal. University of West Georgia.

Love, Sarah, email message to author, April 28, 2022.

Secondary

“About the Field.” National Council on Public History. Accessed October 30, 2022.
https://ncph.org/what-is-public-history/about-the-field/. 
14

“Archaeology - General Information.” Department Of Natural Resources Division. Accessed

October 6, 2022. https://gastateparks.org/Archaeology/Info.

“Glossary.” Archaeological Institute of America, February 23, 2022.

https://www.archaeological.org/programs/educators/introduction-to-archaeology/
glossary/.

“The Laboratory.” The Waring Laboratory. University of West Georgia, July 7, 2022.
https://www.westga.edu/academics/art-culture-science/anthro-psych-soc/anthropology/
waring-lab/the-laboratory.php.

“Tilden's Six Principles.” National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. Accessed
October 27, 2022. https://mylearning.nps.gov/library-resources/tildens-six-principles-
ace/.

“Types of Repositories.” NPS, Archeology Program,

https://www.nps.gov/archeology/collections/repos_01.htm

“What Is Public Archaeology?” Society for American Archaeology, n.d.

https://www.saa.org/education-outreach/public-outreach/what-is-public-archaeology.

Bruchac, M.M., Lost and Found: NAGPRA, Scattered Relics, and Restorative Methodologies.
Museum Anthropology, 33: 137-156. 2010. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-
1379.2010.01092.x

Serrell, Beverly. Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

Tallon, Loic, and Kevin Walker. Digital Technologies and the Museum Experience:
Handheld Guides and Other Media. Lanham: Altamira Press, 2008.

Wood, Elizabeth, Rainey Tisdale, and Trevor Jones. Active Collections. New York, NY:
Routledge, 2018.