MAA Summer Digs

As a member of the MAA you will have the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of archaeological investigations conducted under the supervision of some of the state's professional archaeologists.

MAA Summer Digs 2009

This summer MAA members will have the chance to participate in two archaeological excavation projects that will be occurring in the Mississippi Delta. The first will be June 20-21 at the Winterville Mounds site. This will be in conjunction with USM's field school. The second will be held at Carson Mounds on July 11-12 in conjunction with a project supported by Ole Miss and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Hotels for Winterville are available in Greenville and for Carson in Clarksdale. Everyone should pack a lunch, wear cool cotton clothing, tennis shoes or something with a flat sole (no boots, no sandals, no flip-flops, no barefeet), a hat, bug spray, and sun screen. Tools will be supplied. For more information please contact MAA President Rita McCarty at 601-558-2596 or 601-517-1490.

MAA Summer Dig 2005

The MAA Summer Dig moved south in 2005 to the Raymond Bass Site in the moss-shaded back bay of Biloxi. MAA Gulf Coast chapter president Edmond Boudreaux located the site in 1986, after a centuries-old oak tipped up by Hurricane Elena exposed extensive Indian shell midden.

The goal of the MAA Dig at the Raymond Bass site was to examine the extent, contents, and stratigraphy of the Mississippi Period, Pensacola culture, shell midden located at the site. The dig recovered a large amount of prehistoric artifacts including over 2000 pieces of pottery! It was determined that the midden represents the Singing River phase which dates to A.D. 1350-1550.

About 30 MAA members and volunteers participated in the three day dig which wrapped up with an excellent Biloxi-style seafood feast featuring boiled shrimp and famous Bass family-recipe seafood gumbo.

Photos from the MAA 2005 Dig: