The University of West Georgia’s Antonio J. Waring Jr. Archaeology Laboratory is evolving into the Antonio J. Waring Jr. Center for Public Archaeology, reflecting a renewed commitment to public archaeology and community outreach. This transition aims to realign the center’s mission with a growing focus on community engagement and education.
“The main motivations for this change were to realign the mission and goals to fit with the main focus of the meaningful work we’ve been doing,” said Dr. Nathan Lawres, director of the Waring Center. “We see our mission as promoting and facilitating the preservation, academic study and public knowledge of Georgia’s archaeological heritage through research and community engagement.”
Lawres believes this shift will enhance the institution’s identity within the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS).
“We hope that this transition will really highlight our identity as an institution aligned with a public archaeology framework rather than just as an archaeological research laboratory or a curatorial repository,” he stated.
Since the early 1970s, the center has supported the archaeological research and instructional activities of the faculty in the anthropology program and served as a valuable resource for visiting scholars from across the United States. It accepts and houses collections with ongoing research value from state and federal agencies, municipalities and the private sector.
The Waring Center plans to expand its operations with a focus on community engagement, exhibit development and research. Recent collaborations include Lockheed Elementary School in Marietta, Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Lithia Springs Public Library and more in an effort to broaden programming beyond Carroll County, Lawres informed.
Research opportunities for students will also grow, with projects in experimental archaeology, active archaeological fieldwork and a collaboration with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
“One project we have coming up that we are really excited for is a collaborative project with the Seminole Tribe of Florida looking at Miccosukee Town, which is an ancestral town for both the Seminole and Miccosukee peoples,” he noted.
Lawres also highlighted the legacy of Dr. Antonio J. Waring Jr.
“Antonio Waring’s legacy in southeastern archaeology is really important, and he was someone who was brought into archaeology as a second career because it was something that he became interested in through just learning about it,” he noted. “Community engagement is vital. Taking a public archaeology initiative and reaching people around the state can possibly inspire the next Antonio Waring.”
As part of this transition, the Waring Center will host a special event on Saturday, April 26, from 1–4:30 p.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. The event will feature a variety of family-friendly interactive activities and demonstrations, encouraging kids and visitors to become “Detectives of the Past,” including:
- Make-a-Gorget: Participants will create their own gorget, a pendant historically worn by Native Americans, using a paper plate, yarn and colored pencils.
- Mock Excavation Pit: A hands-on experience where visitors can practice archaeological field methods by uncovering a reconstructed historic homesite.
- Friendship Pots: Guests will paint a pottery fragment representing their personal identity, which will later be reconstructed and 3D scanned for online viewing.
- Chunkey Stone: A traditional Native American game similar to bocce ball that involves rolling a stone ring and tossing a spear-like stick.
- Archaeology Display Table: Showcasing the archaeological process, excavation tools and a digital 3D scanning demonstration.
- Atlatl Toss: Visitors can learn to throw a spear using an ancient hunting tool called an atlatl.
- Center Tours: Guided tours of the facility will introduce guests to curation, research and digital archaeology projects.
- Puppet Shows: Engaging, archaeology-themed puppet shows held every hour, developed in collaboration with the UWG Theater Program.
Additionally, partners from various agencies and institutions across the state will be joining, bringing their own unique activities and materials to the event. The Waring Center is located at 209 Innovation Drive on UWG’s Carrollton Campus.
Visit the UWG Waring Center for more information about upcoming initiatives and programs.
