Attend an Event
Join us at one or all of our 2022 events.
2022 Events Calendar
Saturday, April 16 1:00pm – 4:00pm College Student Open House
Saturday, May 21 10:00am – 2:00pm Open House – Exploring Archaeology at Fort Daniel
Sunday, June 12 1:00pm-4:00pm Informal Guided Tour of the historic Fort Daniel Site
Sunday, July 10 1:00pm -4:00pm Informal Guided Tour of the historic Fort Daniel Site
Saturday, October 15 10:00am – 4:00pm 14th Annual Frontier Faire (International Archaeology Day)
(Frontier Faire rain date of Saturday, October 22)
Saturday, November 11 -Cancelled due to Weather.
Fort Daniel
Fort Daniel is situated on the highest part of Hog Mountain in northeastern Gwinnett County, about 3600 feet northeast of the head of the Appalachee River (aka south fork of the Oconee river). This point is the south end of the boundary allotted to the Cherokees for their hunting grounds, between the said Indians and the citizens of the United States as described in the 1785 Treaty of Hopewell. The line served as the western boundary first of Franklin County and then Franklin and Jackson counties.
The head of the Appalachee, or south fork of the Oconee as it was mistakenly called, was cited again in the 1790 Treaty of New York and the 1796 Treaty of Coleraine, and served for a time as the (north)western end of the treaty line separating the Creeks from U.S. territory
Archaeology
Archaeological investigations at the Fort Daniel, initially carried out by members of the Gwinnett Archaeological Research Society (GARS), began in the summer and fall of 2007 with clearing of a 1-acre area on the top of highest point of Hog Mountain, traditionally understood to be the general location of Fort Daniel, and the logical location for a defensive fortification. The whole area had been farmed, probably since shortly after the fort was abandoned around 1816. Cultivation ceased around 1965, and vegetation, including mostly pine woods, covered the site with the exception of patch of lawn where the current owner had had a garden.
After clearing, a baseline was established and a 100’ x 80’ grid, with 20’ grid units was staked out over the approximately 1-acre area using a contractor’s transit, 100’ tapes and compass. Because the baseline followed the property line, the N/S axis was oriented 10⁰ west of North. A systematic metal detection survey was then carried out by GARS with the help of a local metal detection club whose expertise proved invaluable. The survey produced hundreds of metal objects, mostly wrought and machine cut nails, but also a great number of buttons and “buck ‘n ball” shot. Some pottery was also recovered along with these objects. All artifacts were consistent with an early 19th c. military site. Objects were carefully plotted according to the grid, with nothing excavated beyond the approximately 10” plow zone so as not to disturb any intact buried deposits. A density gradient map was produced to show the relative distribution of metal objects as a guide to further investigations. As it worked out, the fort footprint that later emerged based on excavations, fit nicely.
This survey was followed by a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Survey conducted by Sheldon Skaggs and students from Georgia Southern University. This, and two subsequent GPR surveys, as well as a Soils Resistivity survey proved of additional use in evidences of the fort’s features prior to excavation efforts.
We want you to join us. Come learn.
— Fort Daniel Foundation