For Immediate Release
Date: February 15, 2013

Citizens are invited to visit a real archaeological dig in progress this Saturday as part of the third and final Public Work Days associated with the Cluskey Embankment Stores Archaeology Project. Students interested in learning about archaeology methods will be allowed to assist the archaeology team as they screen excavated dirt for artifacts.

The Public Work Day will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, February 16, 2013, at the Cluskey Embankment Stores on the Drayton Street Ramp, just east of City Hall. Archaeologists from Georgia Southern University, under contract with the City, began exploring the brick vaults in early November.

The Cluskey Embankment Stores were completed in 1842 by contractors working for the City of Savannah. While the vaults have been used for parking over the past several decades, their historical use remains unclear. They are considered architecturally significant, and were included as contributing structures in our Historic District's National Historic Landmark designation in 1966, and National Register of Historic Places designation in 1969. They are one of the oldest publicly owned facilities in Savannah, predating City Hall by more than 60 years.

The hope is that this work, combined with extensive research of historical records, will help the City better tell the story of the Cluskey Embankment Stores, including how they were used and what types of goods were stored in them. Once complete, the City plans to install appropriate signage and interpretation to convey the site's historical significance, as well as its contribution to the larger Savannah story.