Historians are on the hunt for artifacts discovered at the Battle of Resaca battleground for identification and documentation purposes. At a local event hoping to bring locals forward with relics discovered on or near the historic battlefield was unsuccessful this past Saturday.

Shawn Patch and Patrick Severts, professional archaeologists with New South Associates, were on hand to engage the public and document any artifacts, though none come forward.

According to Patch, prior inquiries from one resident led him to believe people were not coming forward due to the belief artifacts would be confiscated, though this was farthest from the truth.

“There is no confiscation if someone were to bring an artifact in and they have the option of being completely anonymous,” said Patch.

Had the public brought in an artifact, both Patch and Severts would work together with the public to map out where exactly the artifact was found on a map. The team would then photograph the artifact and document these findings.

“This is everybody’s battlefield,” said Severts. “We are just trying to expand the enterprise of the battlefield for the public’s benefit.”

The team expressed their sincere desire to help the public with identification of artifacts, and admit that they do not know everything there is to know. The team carries idenfitication books with them to events like these in case an artifact does turn up that they have not seen before.

“It happens a lot, actually,” said Patch. “Often the collectors know more than we do, so we like to talk to them.”

Anyone interested in documenting artifacts discovered at or near the Resaca Battlefield, contact Patch at 336-379-0433 for more information.