PBS Show TIME TEAM AMERICA Films Georgia Southern Archaeology Students at Camp Lawton

The PBS series TIME TEAM AMERICA was tracking the adventures of Georgia Southern archaeologists and students this week at Camp Lawton, a Civil War POW camp in Millen, Ga. The hit show tracks the adventure as archaeologists race against time to excavate historic sites around the nation. The team has three days to uncover buried secrets using the latest technology, decades of expertise and their own sharp wits. Host Justine Shapiro and a television crew from Oregon have spent this week following the students’ trowels as they dig, scrape and sift through centuries of soil to recover precious clues to the past. “This has been an incredible experience,” says Georgia Southern archaeology professor and director of the Camp Lawton project, Sue Moore, Ph.D.  “We are excited to help tell the important story of Camp Lawton and this week has been filled with exciting discoveries.” More than 30 student volunteers have been involved in the project this week and have been busy documenting numerous discoveries.  “This is a chance for our students to show what they can do on national television,” says Moore.  “I am extremely proud of all of the hard work they have put in this week.  They can’t wait to see the finished show and I think the country is going to be blown away by some of the discoveries.” The show was being filmed at Magnolia Springs State Park in Millen, Ga. The area was the site of Camp Lawton, which at the close of the Civil War was believed to be the largest prison camp in the world. Camp Lawton was constructed in 1864 by the Confederate Army to replace Georgia’s notorious Andersonville prison. Camp Lawton housed more than 10,000 Union prisoners and hundreds of Confederate soldiers. But, the camp was only occupied for six weeks before evacuations began in the middle of the night on November 26, 1864, as the Union army approached during Sherman’s March to the Sea. Georgia Southern archaeologists believe that hasty exit may be the reason so many artifacts remained on the site.   The state park was established in the 1930’s, after the exact boundaries of the prison camp were no longer known. According to PBS, the TIME TEAM AMERICA show featuring Camp Lawton and Georgia Southern students is set to air in the Spring. RELATED LINKS: TIME TEAM AMERICA Website Photos from TIME TEAM AMERICA show at Camp Lawton Camp Lawton Website