75TH ANNUAL MEETING
November 14 to 17, 2018
Augusta, Georgia

We are excited to have the Southeastern Archaeological Conference return to Georgia and this year to the historic town Augusta along the banks of the scenic Savannah River. Founded by James Oglethorpe in 1735, the town was named for Princess Augusta, mother of British monarch King George III (and we all know what he lost!). Over the course of its 280-year existence, Augusta persistently has reinvented itself to preserve economic vitality.

Twenty-first century Augusta finds itself the third-largest city in Georgia, offering eclectic vintage stores, unique bars and taverns, local music venues and affordable restaurants. Additional attractions include Augusta Museum of History as the city’s oldest historical agency devoted to the presentation of local and regional history. The Morris Museum of Art is dedicated to the art of the American South. The Lucy Laney Museum of Black History promotes the legacy of Miss Lucy Craft Laney through, art, history, and the preservation of her lifetime home. The Enterprise Mill Textile Museum tells the story of industrial revolution in the American South and how Augusta used its waterways to define its destiny.

Outdoor attractions include Riverwalk Augusta along the Savannah River, and walking trails that span the length of the 1845 Augusta Canal, or even better, just cruise the historic canal on a Petersburg boat tour. Be sure to check out VisitAugusta.com for information about Augusta including downtown and regional maps. Further historical details can be found at:

https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/augusta/historyaugustaoverview.html
https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/augusta
http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/aiken/S10817702002/index.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Augusta,_Georgia

The meeting venue is the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center on the Savannah River waterfront levee. For single and double occupancy, the nightly room rate is $154 (plus 14% local and state tax, $5 state transportation fee, and $1 city tourism fee) with complimentary internet throughout the hotel.

More information and links to hotel registration can be found on the conference hotel page.

Karen Y. Smith and Keith Stephenson
SCIAA
1321 Pendleton St
Columbia, SC 29208
Email: karenyvonnesmith@gmail.com

Online meeting registration IS LIVE. Registration deadline for papers and posters is August 31.

Registration until November 2
Regular Member: 100.00
Student Member: 50.00
Student Non-Member: 65.00
Non-Member: 135.00
Tribal Member: Free

Registration after November 2
Regular Member: 110.00
Student Member: 55.00
Student Non-Member: 70.00
Non-Member: 145.00
Tribal Member: Free
Guest Non-Archaeologist: 25.00 (On-site only)

To register, visit the Meeting Registration page.

SEAC 2018 will host a Thursday late afternoon student reception as well as an evening general reception at the Sacred Heart Cultural Center, a deconsecrated ca. 1897 Catholic church (www.sacredheartaugusta.org), which is perfect for the Great Spirits of SEAC!

Homebrewers, get out your kettles and start brewing! The Great Spirits event, to be held Thursday evening in conjunction with the reception, will feature homemade libations created by fellow SEAC members that will be available for all to try (while supplies last!). Please help us make this a fantastic event by bringing your homemade beer, cider, mead, wine, and/or any other drinkable fermented creation you would like to share. If you would like to contribute and/or have any questions about this event, please message us.

As we will be in the sacred-town of the Godfather of Soul, the Friday night dance will assuredly involve Funk and R&B sounds by the local Picture Perfect Band!

Join us for a guided tour of the famous Late Archaic period shell-bearing site on scenic Stallings Island in the Savannah River! The island is owned and protected the Archaeological Conservancy (https://www.archaeologicalconservancy.org/acquisition/stallings-island-georgia/). We will depart from the hotel at 12:30 PM and travel by bus to the boat landing, where you will be ferried over to the island for a guided tour by Stallings researcher Kenneth Sassaman. Your fee covers the bus trip and a boxed lunch to eat on the 40-minute bus ride. We plan to return to the hotel by 6 PM. Cost is $45 per person. Space is limited so reserve your place now.

Join us for an excursion to the historic town of Edgefield (www.exploreedgefield.com), home to the alkaline-glazed stoneware tradition of South Carolina’s lower Piedmont. We will depart from the hotel at 12:30 PM and travel by bus to the town center. A number of tours are planned for the excursion, including a town square tour by Tonya Browder Guy. Tours of the Olde Edgefield Pottery by Justin Guy and of the Pottersville kiln site by George Calfas are also planned. Your fee covers the bus trip and a boxed lunch to eat on the 1.5-hour bus ride. We plan to return to the hotel by 6:30 PM. Cost is $45 per person. Space is limited so reserve your place now.

Contact the conference organizers if you have specific questions about these trips.