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Our Mission
The Fort Daniel Foundation (FDF), founded in 2009, is a nonprofit,
tax-exempt (501e3) organization composed of professional and avocational archaeologists, descendents of militiamen associated with Fort Daniel during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and interested members of the general public. Our mission is to preserve the Fort Daniel archaeological site by promoting the creation of the Fort Daniel Historic Site and Archaeological Research Park, as a permanent archaeological research preserve available to researchers, historians and educators where
an active learning facility will provide for:
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teaching children the value of our cultural heritage, particularly as it is contained in archaeological sites;
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training and mentoring of archaeology students;
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public archaeology opportunities;
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maintenance of a field laboratory where artifacts will be processed and conserved;
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creation of a field museum where artifacts and interpretive displays will be exhibited for the public. |
Key Milestones
Summer 2007 - Gwinnett Archaeological Research Society (GARS) begins investigations at Fort Daniel site.
Spring 2008 - "Friends of Fort Daniel" organized to work to save site from commercial or residential development.
Fall 2008 - Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation names Fort Daniel to 2009 list of Places In Peril.
Winter 2008 - DNR determines Fort Daniel archaeological site "eligible" for National Register of Historic Places.
Spring 2009 - "Fort Daniel Historic Site and Archaeological Research Park" Master Plan completed with Georgia Trust matching grant.
Summer 2009 - "The Fort Daniel Foundation, Inc." is incorporated in Georgia as non-profit organization, replacing the "Friends of Fort Daniel."
Spring 2010 - IRS grants the Foundation tax-exempt
(501(e)(3) status retroactive to July 2009.
Summer 2010 - Archaeological excavations
determine most of the footprint of the fort. (See images below)
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Brick Making Demonstration -
With the
help of Cherokee Brick & Tile Co., Macon, who supplied brick for
much of the clamp kiln pictured below left, and who "burned" 50 of
the Fort Daniel brick in their modern tunnel kiln, the brick making
portion of the event was quite a success. The remaining "Green" brick
were put in the Fort Daniel clamp kiln (below).
See the Archaeology Month page for more details |
Archaeology
Update
Excavations
during the 2010 Archaeology Month/Frontier Faire weekend located the
south end of the west wall trench. With this and the
previously excavated west end of the south wall, it is clear
that the first floor of SE-corner blockhouse was no less than
10'x10', but probably more like 12' x 12' since it would have
extended beyond the Palisade. The hearth feature, a fireplace
or fire pit, was situated in the center of that room as pictured
below. The length of the south wall trench is 62' and the
wall, including the blockhouse would be 72'-74'.
On August 14, we found east end
of the south wall trench and its corner with the east wall as
pictured below. It is now clear that the "latrine" ditch is
actually the northern 14' of the east wall and that there was
probably a gate south of this segment as suggested by the gap
in the trench line. There is convincing evidence that there was
also a blockhouse in the northwest corner. On August 23 the NW
corner was located in Unit 20 and its projection to the east bears this out.
Known wall trench features, including
SW, NW & SE corners, and
the position of the blockhouse hearth now provide a good idea of the fort's footprint as
seen superimposed on a gradient map produced from the 2007 metal
detection survey. See the Arch2010 page for details.
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What's New:
Mystery Object Identified!
The broken object on the left was recovered
at the Fort Daniel site and its function remained a mystery until we saw
the complete object at the home of member Charles Warbington. It
is part of a collection of Charles' dad's farm implements. It is a
"clevis," which was attached to the front of a mule-drawn plough where
the animal's harness was attached and probably should be dated to the
1920's or so. (Photos by Vince Macek, TRC). |
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