KSU Anthropology: Touching History in Troup County

KENNESAW, Ga. (Aug 2, 2016) — In a swathe of cleared-out woods nestled inside the deep thicket of a largely undeveloped 73-acre tract in Troup County sit small mounds of dark earth. In two of the dug-out holes are stacked stones, likely the foundations of a cabin and a blacksmith shop that were part of a once-thriving factory town.

Kennesaw State anthropology majors Kaitlen Hitt and Cynthia Sun have spent the past five weeks interning with archaeologist Patrick Severts to learn as much as they can about the Troup Factory, the county’s first textile mill, and the people who lived and worked nearby.

Using metal detectors and painstaking mapping, digging, shovel testing and sifting, they have unearthed the remnants of the two structures and dozens of metal artifacts that date back nearly 200 years. Their finds include pieces of crude machinery, pot lids, wagon wheels and a mix of nails that help them date the site.