Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Rifle Range Road Tract
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Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Rifle Range Road Tract Charleston County, South Carolina NEW SOUTH ASSOCIATES, INC. Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Rifle Range Road Tract Charleston County, South Carolina Report submitted to: Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission • 861 Riverland Drive • Charleston, South Carolina 29412 Report prepared by: New South Associates • 722A Blanding Street • Columbia, South Carolina 29201 Natalie Adams Pope – Principal Investigator Natalie Adams Pope – Principal Investigator and Author September 23, 2013 • Final Report New South Associates Technical Report 2235 PHASE I ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE RIFLE RANGE ROAD TRACT i ABSTRACT A Phase I survey was conducted to identify archaeological resources in a 245-acre property that was acquired by Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission for development of a recreational park. This property is located along Rifle Range Road in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Ten sites and one isolated find were identified. Two previously identified cultural resources exist on or adjacent to the tract, although no additional work occurred there as both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is recommended that, if possible, all potentially significant or unassessed sites be preserved in place and considered in park planning. No additional consideration is necessary for sites recommended as not significant. PHASE I ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE RIFLE RANGE ROAD TRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... i TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLE ................................................................................................. v I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1 II. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT ............................................................................................. 3 PHYSIOGRAPHIC SETTING, DRAINAGE, AND SOILS ...................................................... 3 GEOLOGY .................................................................................................................................. 4 CLIMATE ................................................................................................................................... 5 FLORISTICS ............................................................................................................................... 5 III. CULTURAL CONTEXT ......................................................................................................... 9 PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED RESOURCES ............................................................................. 9 PREHISTORIC CONTEXT ...................................................................................................... 10 HISTORIC CONTEXT ............................................................................................................. 15 IV. METHODS ............................................................................................................................ 27 BACKGROUND RESEARCH ................................................................................................. 27 FIELD METHODS .................................................................................................................... 27 LABORATORY METHODS ................................................................................................... 28 V. RESULTS ............................................................................................................................... 31 NEWLY IDENTIFIED SITES .................................................................................................. 32 38CH2425 .............................................................................................................................. 32 38CH2426 .............................................................................................................................. 34 38CH2427 .............................................................................................................................. 39 38CH2428 .............................................................................................................................. 41 38CH2429 .............................................................................................................................. 41 38CH2430 .............................................................................................................................. 45 38CH2431 .............................................................................................................................. 47 38CH2432 .............................................................................................................................. 47 38CH2433 .............................................................................................................................. 48 38CH2434 .............................................................................................................................. 49 PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED CULTURAL RESOURCES ..................................................... 51 Cook’s Old Field Cemetery .................................................................................................... 51 Christ Church Line (38CH953) .............................................................................................. 51 VI. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................... 55 POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT PREHISTORIC SITES ....................................................... 55 POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC SITES ............................................................... 56 INTERPRETING RESOURCES TO THE PUBLIC ................................................................ 56 iv REFERENCES CITED ................................................................................................................. 57 APPENDIX A: SPECIMEN CATALOG APPENDIX B: CIVIL WAR DEFENSES OF CHARLESTON THEMATIC RESOURCES NOMINATION APPENDIX C: COOK’S OLD FIELD CEMETERY PHASE I ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE RIFLE RANGE ROAD TRACT v LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLE Figure 1. Map of Project Area Showing the Locations of Cultural Resources in the Tract ........ 2 Figure 2. View of the Project Environment ................................................................................. 7 Figure 3. South Carolina Ceramic Sequence ............................................................................. 13 Figure 4. Thorton-Morden Map of 1695 Showing Project Location and Historical Marker Inset ............................................................................................................... 17 Figure 5. 1825 Vignoles and Ravenel Map Showing the Name Hamlin in the Project Area .... 21 Figure 6. 1840 Plat of Land Division from Sarah Hamlin to Sons Thomas and John ............... 22 Figure 7. 1863 “Map of Charleston and Its Defenses” Showing the Confederate Earthwork, Horlbeck, and Hamlin Properties ............................................................ 24 Figure 8. 1942 Charleston County Highway Map. .................................................................... 25 Figure 9. Site Map of 38CH2425 and Photograph of Exposed Shell Midden in Ditch Cut ...... 33 Figure 10. Site Map of 38CH2426 ............................................................................................... 35 Figure 11. Prehistoric Artifacts from the Rifle Range Road Tract .............................................. 37 Figure 12. Site Map of 38CH2427 ............................................................................................... 40 Figure 13. 38CH2428 Site Map ................................................................................................... 42 Figure 14. 38CH2429 Site Map ................................................................................................... 44 Figure 15. Site Map of 38CH2430, 38CH2431, 38CH2432, and 38CH2433 ............................. 46 Figure 16. Site Map of 38CH2434 ............................................................................................... 50 Figure 17. Photographs of Cook’s Old Field Cemetery and Historical Marker .......................... 52 Figure 18. Photographs of the Christ Church Line Along the Property Boundary. ..................... 54 Table 1. Identified Archaeological Sites and Significance .......................................................... 31 PHASE I ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE RIFLE RANGE ROAD TRACT 1 I. INTRODUCTION The Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) acquired the 242-acre Rifle Range Road property in order to provide a recreational park for the citizens of Charleston County and its visitors. To better understand the archaeological resources contained on the tract, CCPRC commissioned New South Associates to conduct a Phase I Archaeological Survey to identify sites on the property. The survey area is bounded to the southeast by Rifle Range Road, to the southwest by the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)-listed Christ Church Line (38CH953), and to the northeast and northwest by privately owned property. An outparcel containing the NRHP-listed Cook’s