Archaeology in State Parks - 2017 Archaeology Month Theme

Now in its 26th year, the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Archaeological Society of South Carolina sponsor an annual South Carolina Archaeology Month.

The goals of SC Archaeology Month are to:
1) Stimulate public pride in our state's 14,000-year archaeological heritage,
2) Increase public understanding of why archaeological research is important,
3) Heighten public awareness of how many  archaeological resources are lost each year in South Carolina,
4) Educate the public about what they can do to help protect, preserve, and study the state’s archaeological resources, and
5) Get more people involved in legitimate archaeological activities. Archaeology Month activities occur through the month and feature a wide variety of programs, events, and activities focused on prehistory, history, cultural heritage, and historic preservation offered in every corner of the state, including county museum, county parks, state parks and national parks. In 2017 we celebrate "Archaeology in State Parks."

Dr. Karen Y. Smith

Our own state park is closed due to hurricane damage but right across St. Helena Sound is Edisto Island. We are lucky to have Dr. Karen Y. Smith, archaeologist with the SC Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at USC, come to give a talk on recent excavations at Spanish Mount Point at Edisto Island State Park.  Dr. Smith is Director of the Applied Research Division at the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology on the University of South Carolina Campus in Columbia. She is a southeastern archaeologist with a background in Woodland period and plantation-era research and archaeological curation. Her interests also include the application of archaeological dating methods, the development of relational data structures and databases, and the execution of spatial sampling strategies and analysis, all of which have relevance across time and space. She worked in Monticello's Department of Archaeology, Charlottesville, Virginia for 9 years before coming to SCIAA. Karen holds a B.A. from the University of West Georgia (1996), an M.A. from the University of Alabama (1999), and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri (2009).
 

(Courtesy SCIAA)

Spanish Mount Point is an important Archaic Native American mound situated on a large tidal creek on the landward side of Edisto Beach and is on the front lines of climate change. Although the shellfish mound stood for approximately 4,000 years of human history, in the last century this important site has been betrayed by an incalculable combination of coastal sea level rise, increased coastal development, and strengthening coastal storms. Unfortunately, the climatic issues that we face as a society, indeed, as a species, have already claimed the mound as a victim. You can read a bit more about the race to document the site before it was reclaimed by the sea in this Charleston Post and Courier article.

This BDC program will be held in the Beaufort Branch Meeting Room, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, SC 29901 at 2 PM (1 hour). The event is free and open to the public! First come, first seated. Capacity is 85 participants. For more information, please contact Grace Cordial at (843) 255-6468 or email gracec@bcgov.net.

(Courtesy SCIAA)

But that's not all. We have several more free archaeology related programs and an exhibit coming soon.

Mon., Oct 2, 2017— Wed., Feb. 28, 2017 “Combahee Ferry Historic District”       Exhibit Anyone who has driven from Beaufort to Charleston on US Hwy 17 has gone across a rich and multi-tiered archaeological site. Learn about the significance of the Combahee River crossing beginning with the Native Americans who camped along its banks, the lost town of Radnor, and the daring raid to free the enslaved led by Harriet Tubman and the 2nd US Colored Troops in 1863. The exhibit is on loan from the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Mondays—Fridays, 9 am to 5 pm, except holidays. See below for details regarding a special lecture on Nov. 15th about this site. 

Sat., Oct. 28: “What The Heck IS It?” with Dr. Jon Leader and Dr. Eric Poplin. Drop In with your artifacts and try to stump the  learned  archaeologists. BDC@  Beaufort Branch Meeting Room, 10 am—1:30 pm. Co-Sponsor: ASSC

 Wed., Nov. 15: “Combahee Ferry Historic District” with Dr. Eric Poplin of Brockington & Associates. BDC@ Beaufort Branch Meeting Room, 2 pm. First come; First Seated (Maximum Capacity: 85) 

We hope that you'll be able to join us.

A PDF of the full SC Archaeology Month calendar http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/sciaa/sites/sc.edu.sciaa/files/attachments/2017%20Calendar%20of%20Events%202.pdf.