John P. Rogan conducted the first[1] archaeological excavations on the Etowah Indian Mounds near Cartersville, Georgia for the Smithsonian Institution[2] working under Cyrus Thomas during the early 1880s.[3] He discovered the famous copper eagle dancer plates, which were later named the Rogan plates. Rogan tested seven other archaeological sites in Georgia in Bartow, White, Habersham, Forsyth, Rabun, Elbert, and McIntosh counties. He had been hired by Cyrus Thomas, his cousin, and both were from Bristol, Tennessee. He was apparently fired about 1885 for making fake artifacts to sell to the government.