USACE releases photos of artifacts found during Savannah River dredging

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District has released photos of artifacts removed from the Savannah River during recent dredging operations.

The photos show items inadvertently discovered during normal dredging operations in late February, including cannons dating to pre-Civil War times, an anchor, as well as other materials that were recovered near the cannons.

Following these discoveries, USACE ended all dredging operations in the vicinity of the discovery in an abundance of caution to adhere to the letter and spirit of the National Historic Preservation Act.

The artifacts removed from the river bottom remain under the care of the Corps while awaiting the next step in preservation.

USACE has experience in temporary preservation based on its removal of the CSS Georgia, a Confederate ironclad gunboat, from the river in the last few years.

According to the Corps, archaeologists have not reached a definitive conclusion on the origin of the artifacts but continue investigating dates as far back at the 1770s when Great Britain exercised control of the Georgia colony.

Officials with the Savannah District notified other federal agencies of the find and continue to coordinate future actions in accordance with applicable laws.