What to Expect in October 2024

October is always one of the busiest months of the year in the BDC. We celebrate Archives Month, Archaeology Month, Family History Month, Gullah Geechee Heritage Month and half of Hispanic Heritage Month in the tenth month of the Gregorian calendar. Expect to see social media posts about each of these topics. 

We have a lot of "stuff" to do: a mandatory County training; 2 community outreach efforts; 4 local history programs; and the semi-annual Library Staff Training Day on October 14th. In addition to our regular duties and working with Research Room customers, we're still trying to find the right person to join the BDC team by reviewing applications and setting up interviews.

Programs on our schedule: 

October 5 - "What the HECK Is It?: Artifact identification" at Hilton Head Branch Library with the Hilton Head Chapter, Archaeological Society of South Carolina

October 10 - Past & Present: BCL's Digital Collections - Our first program at the new Port Royal Branch Library 

October 15 - "History of the BJWSA" session #1 with Tricia Kilgore; BHM/BCL Local History series Season 8.1A at St. Helena Branch Library

October 22 - "History of the BJWSA" session #2 with Tricia Kilgore; BHM/BCL Local History series Season 8.1B at Bluffton Branch Library

As of this writing, Research Room closures related to these efforts will occur on Thursday, October 3rd, Monday, October 14th, Tuesday, October 15th and Tuesday, October 22nd. But other unexpected closures can occur due to inclement weather (we're still in Hurricane Season) and staff shortage. 

BDC Breaking News : ASSC, HH and the BDC Team Up to Bring Archaeology Programs to Hilton Head Branch Library

Here's a re-cap of the Grace.Note I sent out last week. 

The Beaufort District Collection and the Hilton Head Chapter, Archaeological Society of South Carolina are teaming up to bring 3 archaeology related programs to the Hilton Head Branch Library this Fall.

FORD’S SHELL RING PROJECT

Archaeologist Jeff Sherard will share information about the work he has done at Ford’s Shell Ring in Beaufort County. As you will discover, the Ford’s Shell Ring has some unique features that are fascinating. The Shell Ring is a passive park project done jointly by the County and Hilton Head Township, and the Hilton Head Chapter, ASSC has been involved in the project from the beginning. 

“Ford’s Shell Ring Project” with Jeff Sherard | Saturday, September 14, 2024 | 2 PM | BDC/ Hilton Head Chapter, ASSC | Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road | Doors open for seating at 1:30 PM

WHAT THE HECK IS IT?

Okay, guys and gals, I will admit that I just love these free artifact identification sessions! Over the years folks have brought in a full range of artifacts – prehistoric, historic, projectile points, ceramic sherds, Civil War crypto devices, African dolls, 1st century lamps, etc. – to name a few. Look around the house and bring in that thing you wonder what the heck it is. 

We’ll have some of South Carolina’s finest professional archeologists on hand to analyze, identify and date your artifacts. I will be so happy to see State Archaeologist Dr. Jon Leader and Brockington & Associates archaeologists Jeff Sherard – and maybe Dr. Eric Poplin – and you, of course -- on October 5^th at the Hilton Head Branch Library.

Note Well: Do not bring any weapons (guns, swords, daggers, etc.) to be examined. It is the policy of the Beaufort County Library not to allow any weapons in the libraries. No monetary valuations will be provided.

"What the HECK Is It?: Artifact Identification" with State Archaeologist Dr. Jon Leader, Dr. Eric Poplin, and Jeff Sherard | Saturday, October 5, 2024 | 2 PM | BDC/ Hilton Head Chapter, ASSC | Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road | Doors open for seating at 1:30 PM

EXPLORING THE HISTORY AT YOUR DOORSTEP

Nick Linville is not an archaeologist but he works closely with them by doing historical research necessary to inform archaeological digs. In fact Nick will share the captivating stories he has uncovered through his years of research into three cultural preserves in the area: South Bluff Heritage Preserve on Coosaw Island, Altamaha Towne in Okatee, and Green’s Shell Enclosure on Hilton Head Island. From Native American archaeological sites to historic colonial plantations, enslaved quarters, and freedman homesteads, this presentation explores the deep layers of the past that are right here in Beaufort County. 

"Exploring the History at Your Doorstep" with Nick Linville | Friday, November 22, 2024 |            1 PM | BDC / Hilton Head Chapter, ASSC | Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road | Doors open for seating at 12:30 PM

I remain a relict – but not a relic quite yet, Grace

BDC Focus: Archaeology

Archaeology, or archeology, is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, and cultural landscapes. Local archaeology is one of the five major topics we cover here in the BDC. Indeed we have in excess of over 100 archaeological reports relating to sites in Beaufort County alone. You'll see archaeology related Facebook posts on a regular basis. Every October we highlight Archaeology Month. Our special collections and archival resources prove useful to archaeologists on a regular basis.

Beaufort County is blessed to have 2 chapters of the Archaeological Society of South Carolina: Hilton Head Chapter and a Beaufort Chapter. Both groups are happy to welcome new members and the general public to their programs. We have two archaeology programs coming up this spring, both of which are co-sponsored by the Beaufort Chapter, ASSC:

March 22 at Bluffton Branch Library at 3 pm, we welcome Rita and Dan Elliott's final report and documentary film about the military engagement at Purrysburg, one of the British movements to capture South Carolina in 1779 - 1780. Why Bluffton Branch Library? The BDC is the only library unit that is required to put on programs at other library locations.  Bluffton Branch happens to be the closest BCL location to the actual site that is in present-day Jasper County - though at the time of the military engagement all of Jasper and Hampton counties were part of the Beaufort District. 

Dr. Jon Marcoux

Friday, May 27th at Beaufort Branch Library at 11:30 am Dr. Jon Marcoux of Salve Regina University tells us about the Battle of Sadkeche, a Yamassee War engagement in nearby Colleton County. He is an archaeologist who specializes in cultural and historic preservation and the study of late prehistoric and early historic Native American Indian societies (ca. A.D. 1000-1800). He's particularly interested in studying cultural interaction among late 17th-century Native American Indian communities, enslaved Africans and European settlers.

Looking ahead to Archaeology Month: We already have a verbal commitment from Dr. Jon Leader and Dr. Eric Poplin to return in October 2016 for the 4th annual "What the Heck Is It?" artifact identification program. Stay tuned for final arrangements.

Read the latest ASSC newsletter at: http://bit.ly/1UikjW5

Artifacts Identified ... for Free!

Got an artifact (or two or three) lying around your house that you're just dying to know more about? Bring it (or them) to one of the free "What The Heck Is It?" sessions being held by the local Archaeological Society of South Carolina chapters to commemorate South Carolina Archaeology Month. 

  

• The BDC and the Beaufort Chapter, ASSC are hosting a session on Saturday, October 3rd from 10 am to 1 pm. Two of our favorite archaeologists, Dr. Eric Poplin and Dr. Jonathan Leader, will be available to identify your artifacts.

• South of the Broad River residents may prefer to take their artifacts to the session at Coastal Discovery Museum on October 17th, 1 - 4 pm. The Hilton Head Island Chapter, ASSC is sponsoring this session. Dr. Poplin and Dr. Leader will be there to assist you. 

Psst! At the NOB session, we'll have copies of the 2015 South Carolina Archaeology Month posters to give away ... while supplies last.

Archaeology of Fort Motte this Thursday

FORT MOTTE

Thursday, February 12 at 6 pm | BDC@ BDC | Ages 12 - Adults

SCIAA Director, Steve Smith lectures on Revolutionary War era Fort Motte, captured by Gen. Francis Marion from the Redcoats in May 1781. This lecture, co-sponsored with the Beaufort Chapter, Archaeological Society of South Carolina is free and open to the public.

Celebrating Archaeology

Throughout the year, the Beaufort District Collection brings in authors and speakers who address local history, archaeology, Gullah culture, genealogy, natural history and preservation issues. We try to mix days of the week and times of the day so that some programs are held on evenings and/or weekends at various locations to accommodate working families and middle and high school students. Here's what we've planned for Archaeology Month in October: 

Prof. Chris Judge, USC-Lancaster

Our expert and special guest is Professor Chris Judge of USC-Lancaster, a very popular speaker with Beaufort County residents.  His research focus is Native American archaeology. His lectures are co-sponsored by the Beaufort District Collection's decade long partner for Archaeology Month, Beaufort County Planning.  2014 lectures are co-sponsored by South Carolina Historical Society; the Beaufort Chapter and Hilton Head Chapters, ASSC; Coastal Discovery Museum, and the Arkhaois Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Film Festival.

Wed., Oct. 22, 2014   

• Coastal Discovery Museum , Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island at Noon.
• Learn about the archaeology of the local Yamasee Indians from 1684 up to the start of the Yamasee War, the most significant Native uprising of the early colonial period.
   
• Beaufort District Collection, 2nd floor, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort at 6 pm. 
• Between 1000 BC and AD 1200 Native American societies in South Carolina introduced the bow and arrow, expanded recently invented clay pottery traditions, began growing native crops in gardens and buried certain individuals with great fanfare and effort.  Archaeologists call these societies "Woodland" and new research across the Carolinas is shedding new light on these people. This talk will explore these topics.

If you have an artifact (or two or even four) lying around your house that you're just dying to know what it is, bring it (or them) to one of the "What The Heck Is It?" sessions.

• South of the Broad River residents may prefer to take their artifacts to the session at Coastal Discovery Museum for South of the Broad River residents on October 11th, 1 - 4 pm.

• North of the Broad River residents may prefer to attend the BDC and the Beaufort Chapter, ASSC session on Saturday, October 18th at the BDC, 2nd floor, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort - which just so happens to also be International Archaeology Day.  Dr. Eric Poplin and Dr. Jonathan Leader will be returning to identify your artifacts.  

Could there be a better way to celebrate? We think, "Not!"  All lectures and "What the Heck Is It?" sessions are free and open to the public. Please join us!

New Archaeology Exhibit at Parris Island Museum

Over 400 years ago, a group of Native Americans abandoned a hand made canoe, or perhaps the Spaniards scuttled it as they left the area. Regardless of how it came to be in the pluffmud off Parris Island, it was found by James Cooler, extricated and put in storage for over a decade. 

Recently the project of restoring it was undertaken by Lynn Harris, PhD, assistant professor at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. After much hard work, the canoe will be on display at the Parris Island Museum. 

To celebrate the unveiling of the canoe exhibition, the Parris Island Museum and Historic Society and the Archaeology Society of South Carolina Beaufort Chapter are partnering to present a dutch treat luncheon and lecture in the Regimental Room at Traditions on Parris Island on Wed. June 18th at 11:30 for luncheon and 12:15 lecture. 

According to Dennis Brennan of the PIM &HS, "We are very pleased to have this great new exhibition at the Parris Island Museum. We will be partnering with the Archaeology Society of SC/Beaufort Chapter to host a reception after the luncheon and lecture at Traditions. The lecture and reception are free and open to the public but we would like everyone to RSVP so that we'll know how many chairs to have set up. Lunch will be dutch treat at the Traditions lunch buffet." 

"The lunch will begin at 11:30 and the lecture with Dr. Steve Wise introducing Lynn Harris and several of the students that participated in the creation of the display, will start promptly at 12:15 and last about 30 minutes. We will adjourn to the Parris Island Museum where we'll have a ribbon cutting and a reception with light refreshments at 1 pm." 

Please note:  As the Marine Corps Recruit Depot is a military installation, everyone should allow extra time to get through the Main Gate. To get a pass, one must provide proper paperwork for your automobile (driver's license, current vehicle registration and insurance.)(It's a painless process under normal conditions but it can take an additional 5 to 10 minutes or more depending on how many other people are having to register at the Main Gate). 

RSVP for seating by Monday, June 16th to: pimuseumsociety@gmail.com

Combahee Ferry Historic District Exhibit & Lecture

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 by Harriet Tubman and the 2nd US Colored Troops in 1863.

See the exhibit on display in the Beaufort District Collection, Mondays - Fridays, 10 am - 5 pm with special hours for Monday, June 9th, 10 am - 5:45 pm. We encourage you to see the exhibit and stay for the lecture at 6:00 pm. The exhibit and lecture are free.  (Please note: The Library system is closed Monday, May 26th for Memorial Day).


Attend the lecture, "Archaeology of the Combahee Ferry Historic District" with lead archaeologist Dr. Eric Poplin on Monday, June 9, 2014 in the Children's Programming Room, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, 1st floor.  The lecture begins at 6 pm.  The lecture is free.  Anyone over age 12 with an interest in archaeology is welcomed to attend.

Dr. Poplin's lecture is co-sponsored by the Beaufort District Collection and the new Beaufort Chapter, Archaeological Society of South Carolina. 

The exhibit is on display courtesy of Brockington & Associates, SC Department of Transportation, US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, Beaufort County Engineering & Infrastructure, Beaufort County Planning and the Beaufort County Library.

Please join us!

Borg at ASSC/HH Chapter on Feb. 25th

Hilton Head, SC:  

The Archaeological Society of South Carolina, Hilton Head Chapter is meeting on Hilton Head Island, Feb. 25th, 7 pm at Coastal Discovery Museum at Historic Honey Horn and is proud to host as its February speaker Dr. Barbara Borg, who teaches in the archaeology program (major and minor) at the College of Charleston. She will be speaking on the archaeological programs they have at the College, as well as the excavations they do in their field schools at the Lord Ashley Site, Hampton Plantation and other sites. All ASSC/HH events are free and open to the public.

Archaeology Society Meeting and Program Nov. 19

The Archaeological Society of South Carolina, Hilton Head Chapter is meeting on Hilton Head Island, Nov. 19th at 1 pm at Coastal Discovery Museum at Historic Honey Horn. The brief business meeting for the election of officers will be followed by a presentation by Kara Bridgman Sweeney. Bridgman Sweeney will discuss her dissertation "A Complex Web of History and Artifact Types in the Early Archaic Southeast." The ASSC  funded some of this work with a Grant-in-Aid in 2004, and she presented some of her preliminary findings at the ASSC conference in 2006.  Her project involved analyzing over 2,000 side-notched artifacts, in order to document the variation in artifact types throughout the Coastal Plain Southeast. 

Dr. Kara Bridgman Sweeney (Ph.D., Anthropology, University of Florida; M.A., Archaeology, University College Cork, Ireland) has over 15 years of experience in the field of archaeology, with an emphasis on lithic analysis, historical interpretation, and public archaeology and outreach. Along with lithic analysis, Dr. Bridgman Sweeney's specialties include ethnoarchaeology and technical writing. 

The meeting is open to the general public. For further information, contact Dwayne Pickett, President ASSC/HH www.assc.net 

Archaeology Film Festival, Oct. 24 - 26

Archaeology is alive and well in Beaufort County as the two programs we've held with the Hilton Head Chapter, Archaeological Society of South Carolina and the Beaufort County Planning Department have indicated.  But there is something new and exciting this year - the Arkhaois Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Film Festival. 

Beaufort County is in for an extra special Archaeology Month treat, on October 24 - 26th, when the inaugural Arkhaois Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Film Festival kicks off at Coligny Theater on Hilton Head Island.  

Jean Guilleux, event founder announced there are several films that will be premiering at Arkhaios and the South Carolina Heritage film slots have been filled.

Guilleux says, ”We are pleased that so many SC film makers have shown interest in presenting their works on cultural, historical and archaeological subjects. The last movie shown each day is dedicated to South Carolina heritage. We will also have a daily audience participation vote for the Favorite Film of the Day.  All awards will be presented on Saturday , Oct. 26th at 5:45. All shows are free and open to the public.”

He adds that "We have many volunteers who are making this project flow on schedule and who are very generous with their time. We encourage our patrons to visit our Facebook page and website for updates.”


The festival schedule is online through the Coastal Discovery Museum website.  The Arkhaios Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Film Festival is on Facebook and will post updates on their Facebook page.  T
he page also displays  a video, trailer of the film, and a brief synopsis of each film.

Presenting sponsors include Coastal Discovery Museum, SC Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology of the University of South Carolina, the Humanities CouncilSC, the Arts Council of South Carolina, the Archaeological Society of SC, and The Savannah River Archaeological Research Program.

"What The Heck Is It?" Saturday

Come celebrate International Archaeology Day with the Hilton Head Chapter, Archaeological Society of South Carolina, the Beaufort County Department of Planning, and the Beaufort District Collection! Everyone is welcomed to bring their unidentified relics or objects to try to stump the archaeologists.