Native Americans on the Georgia Coast
Long before Europeans arrived in the New World,
the Savannah area was occupied by Native Americans.
The earliest Paleoindian groups migrated into coastal
Georgia as early as 10,000 B.C. The hunter-gathers
took advantage of rich estuarine resources as well as
upland plants and animals. During the period identified
as Woodland by archaeologists, a more sedentary
lifestyle was adopted. Villages became more permanent
and crop cultivation contributed to subsistence
along with hunting and fishing. When the first
Georgia settlers arrived in Savannah in 1733, they
encountered members of the Creek tribe living along
the river.
Native American Pottery
[ Picture included ]
The Green Corn
[ Picture included }
Preserving Game through Smoking
[ Picture included ]
Native American Canoes
Savannah River points
[ Picture included ]
Savannah River points were attached to
wooden spears and used to kill game. This
style of projectile point is associated with
the Late Archaic period, 3,000 to 1,000 B.C.
First Americans Hunting Big Game
[ picture included ]
The first Native Americans on the Georgia
coast were nomadic peoples that hunted large
game such as mastodon with spears.
Hunting Smaller Game
[ Picture included ]
Native Americans living along the coast of
Georgia and northeast Florida were
documented in the 16th century by French
artist Jacques le Moyne de Morgues. His
illustrations depicted hunting game such
as deer and alligator. Bear, bison, rabbit,
turkey, squirrel and other animals also
supported the rich Native American diet.
Marker is on East River Street, on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
