University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Archaeology and Anthropology, South Carolina Research Manuscript Series Institute of 9-1980 An Intensive Shoreline Survey of Archeological Sites in Port Royal Sound and the Broad River Estuary, Beaufort County, South Carolina James L. Michie Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/archanth_books Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Michie, James L., "An Intensive Shoreline Survey of Archeological Sites in Port Royal Sound and the Broad River Estuary, Beaufort County, South Carolina" (1980). Research Manuscript Series. 160. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/archanth_books/160 This Book is brought to you by the Archaeology and Anthropology, South Carolina Institute of at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Research Manuscript Series by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. An Intensive Shoreline Survey of Archeological Sites in Port Royal Sound and the Broad River Estuary, Beaufort County, South Carolina Keywords Excavations, Port Royal Sound, Broad River, Beaufort County, South Carolina, Archeology Disciplines Anthropology Publisher The outhS Carolina Institute of Archeology and Anthropology--University of South Carolina Comments In USC online Library catalog at: http://www.sc.edu/library/ This book is available at Scholar Commons: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/archanth_books/160 AN INTENSIVE SHORELINE SURVEY OF ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES IN PORT ROYAL SOUND AND THE BROAD RIVER ESTUARY" BEAUFORT COUNTY" SOUTH CAROLINA by James L. Michie Research Manuscript Series 167 The University of South Carolina offers equal opportunity in its employment, admissions and educational activities, in accordance with Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and other civil rights laws. Prepared by the INSTITUTE OF ARCHEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA September, 1980 TAELE OF CONTENTS'· Page LIST OF FIGURES iv LIST OF TABLES vi PREFACE vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS • THE ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING OF PORT ROYAL SOUND AND THE BROAD RIVER 1 Physical Environment 1 Location . 1 Geomorphology and Geology 1 Hyd:r>ology . 7 Biophysical Environment 8 Introduction 8 Flora . 8 Fauna. 9 Historical Modifiaations of the Physi'cal Environment 10 Considerations of a Paleoenvironment 14 AN ARCHEOLOGICAL REVIEW OF SOUTH CAROLINA PREHISTORY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE LOWER COASTAL PLAIN. 19 Paleo-Indian Period . 19 Archaic Period • 20 Woodland Period . 21 Mississippian Period , . 21 Historic Period . 22 An Archeological Overview of the Project Area 25 SITE DESCRIPTION AND EVALUATION 28 Introduction 28 Prehistoric Site Data 44 Historic Site Data 56 PREHISTORIC OCCUPATIONS AND UTILIZATION OF PORT ROYAL SOUND AND THE BROAD RIVER . 61 Introduction 61 Paleo-Inaian . 61 Early Archaia . 62 Middle Archaic 64 Late Archaic 66 Formative 68 Woodland 69 Mississippian . 70 Historic 73 Lithic Raw Materials 74 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS • 76 APPENDIX • 78 REFERENCES • 81 iii FIGURES Page FIGURE 1: Location of Porot Royal Sound and the Brooad Rivero • 2 FIGURE 2: Crooss section throough the prooject aroea indicating geologia fo~ations 3 FIGURE 3: Dissected marosh and Bohiaket soils 5 FIGURE 4: Extensive maroshland assoaiatedwith Bohicket soils . 5 FIGURE 5: High marosh surofaae composed of Caperos soils~ salt meadow aorodgroass~ and glassworot 6 FIGURE 6: Compact beaah with thin veneero of Caperos soils aoveroing Pleistocene fo~ation 6 FIGURE 7: The Gascoigne Map of 1776 11 FIGURE 8: The Mill's Atlas Map of 1825 12 FIGURE 9: Prooposed submerogence aUY've based on roadio­ carobon dates roelated to varoiaus stands of sea level 16 FIGURE 10: Eustatic sea level cUY'Ve based on submaroine and glacial morophology~ including roadio­ carobon dating 16 FIGURE 11: Prooposed sea level fluctuations based on geological and arocheologiaal info~atir!m~ and roadiocarobon dates 17 FIGURE 12: Site locations within Porot Royal Sound and Brooad Rivero • 30 FIGURE 13: Site loaation within Porot Royal Sound and Brooad Rivero (Map A) 31 FIGURE 14: Site location within Porot Royal Sound and Brooad Rivero (Map B) 32 FIGURE 15: Site location within Porot Royal Sound and Brooad Rivero (Map C) 33 FIGURE 16: Site location within Porot Royal Sound and Brooad Rivero (Map D) 34 iv FIGURES (CONTINUED) Page FIGURE 17: Paleo Indian and Early Archaic bifaces from the project area . 65 FIGURE 18: Middle and Late Arahaic points from the project ar12a 67 FIGURE 19: Formative Period mat12rials from the project area .. 69 FIGURE 20: Woodland and Mississippian cultural materials from the proj12ct area . FIGURE 21: Bi-polar ch12rt cobble and cobble debitage from the prvj12ct area . 77 v TABLES Page TABLE 1: Vegetational history of South Carolina . 15 TABLE 2: General infomation regarding sites and associated environments . 35 TABLE 3: Specific infomation regarding lithic materials and associated sites 38 TABLE 4: Specific infomation regarding ceramic materials and associated sites 41 vi PREFACE While archeological research was being conducted in other regions of the southeastern United States in the earlier part of the twentieth century, South Carolina was severely neglected, if not practically ignored. This unfortunate situation continued well into the mid-·1900s until the Institute of Archeology and Anthropology, established at the University of South Carolina about a decade ago, made substantial progress towards understanding the previously disregarded cultural heritage. The main thrust of archeological research during the past several years has originated from contract archeology, and many large surveys have contri­ buted significantly in areas of historic and prehistoric archeology. Beyond the level of cultural resource management, additional research has resulted from state agencies, private resources, and historic: pre­ servation funds administered through the Department of Archives a.nd History. Although a few of these surveys have approached a level of regional understanding, the maj ority of investigations have centered around small transects in an attempt to discover potentially impacted human occupations. These narrow surveys, confined to the corridor of right-of-ways, seldom have an opportunity to yield information basic to the realization of settlement pattern or location within specific regions or environmental zones. Additionally, many of these small surveys have occurred in the Piedmont and other areas central to the state. This does not nec:essarily indicate that surveys have not been conducted in the Coastal Plain, or within other areas of the state, but it does indicate that while research has resulted in the interior, the coastal areas have been neglected. Research has been minimal, and while several investigations have yielded Clatabasic to cultural understanding, these siurveys and inquiries have not produced much knowledge concerning regional patterns, of prehistoric settlement on the coast. Perhaps the area most recognized for its antiquity, historic: 'and prehistoric, is Port Royal Sound and the Broad River located immediately south of Beaufort. The region has yielded considerable evidence for Euro­ pean habitation of French, English, and Spanish during the sixteenth Century, and a,greatdeal of information concerning aboriginal occupations which are known to represent a considerable span of time. Beyond the European settlements which are generally characterized by fortifications, the aboriginal habitations represent shell middens of various tirr~ periods, in addition to a diverse inventory of ceramics and lithics, all of which form an unbroken sequence of time. These cultural remains and their associated sites have been discovered on adjacent terraces overlooking the estuary, and along the edges of eroding beaches. Evidenced by scattered archeological materials, some of the sites have been washed away, while others are eroding at an a.larming rate. Those remaining sites, although slightly eroded, seem relatively stable. vii -- ---------·--~-------------_.i The largest known eroded site is located on the eastern side of Daw's Island. The site, scattered for a considerable distance along a sandy beach, has yielded approximately 2,000 chert bifaces and tools, representing a continuous occupation beginning with the Paleo-Indian period and terminating with the Archaic, a span of nearly 6,000 years. Although the site was destroyed by inundating Holocene seas, the impres­ sive amount of material culture indicates an extensive utilization of an ancient river valley prior to a major transgression of the sea. Synonymous with the Daw's Island lithic scatter, Elliott's Beach on Parris Island has also yielded a large mnnber of bifaces and tools, in addition to a continuous ceramic sequence ranging from fiber tempered pottery through the later sand tempered series. Several other sites, although smaller, have been discovered at various other locations in the estuary. The majority of these sites are multi-component, not only in terms of lithics but also with ceramic components. One of the most important sites on the coast of South Carolina is located immediately south of the large lithic scatter on Daw's Island. This site is associated with the Formative period and is characterized by fiber tempered pottery and a relatively small amorphous shell midden. The midden is covered with nearly five feet of sea water daily, and as a result, human burials, animal bones, chert bifaces, large amounts