FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS OF PREHISTORIC AND HISTORIC UFEWAYS ON CALLAWASSIE AND SPRING ISLANDS, BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA SUGAR MI LL iSOMETRIC VIEW CURING SHED BOILING HOUSE MiLL BASE CHICORA FOUNDATION RESEARCH SERIES 23 FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS OF PREHISTORIC AND HISTORIC LIFEWAYS ON CALLAWASSIE AND SPRING ISLANDS, BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA RESEARCH SERIES 23 Michael Trinkley, Editor Contributors: Colin Brooker Arthur D. Cohen Mona Grunden Debi Hacker David Lawrence Michael Trinkley Jack H. Wilson, Jr. Chicora Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 8664 Columbia, South Carolina 29202 May 1991 ISSN 0882-2042 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Further investigations of prehistoric and historic lifeways on eallawassie and Spring Islands, Beaufort County, South Carolina / Michael Trinkley, editor; contributors, Colin Brooker .•. ret al.j. p. em. -- (Research series / Chicora Foundation, ISSN 0882-2042 ; 23) "May 1991." Includes bibliographical references. 1. Beaufort County (S.C.)--Antiquities. 2. Callawassie Island (S.C.)--Antiquities. 3. Spring Island (S.C.)--Antiquities. 4. Indians of North America--South Carolina--Callawassie Island­ -Antiquities. 5. Indians of North America--South Carolina--Spring Island--Antiquities. 6. Excavations (Archaeology)--South Carolina­ -Callawassie Island. 7. Excavations (Archaeology)--South Carolina- -Spring Island. I. Trinkley, Michael. II. Brooker, Colin. III. Series: Research series (Chicora Foundation) ; 23. F277.B3F87 1991 975.7'99--dc20 91-18007 eIP The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences - Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-l984. i These riddles may be hard to read, but they do tell us plainly what we most need to know. They tell us that our future largely depends upon ourselves. We are not just at the mercy of an inerable fate. --Arnold J. Toynbee Civilization on Trial ii ABSTRACT This study provides further information on the prehistoric and historic archaeology of Spring and Callawassie islands in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Incorporated in this report is a discussion of the previous archaeological research on both islands, an intensive archaeological survey of the undeveloped portions of Callawassie Island, and excavations at five prehistoric sites. The prehistoric sites investigated include 38BU19, a village area associated with a Late Woodland St. Catherines and Savannah phase burial mound; 38BU464, a second Late Woodland St. Catherines and Savannah phase village area possibly associated with the mound; 38BU12l4, a late Early Woodland Deptford phase shell midden site on Spring Island; and 38BU1249 and 38BU1262, both shell midden sites on Callawassie Island which exhibit Early through Late Woodland occupation. Site 38BU12l4 also contains a significant late eighteenth and early nineteenth historic period site consisting of an isolated, ephemeral domestic structure. The investigations include a detailed discussion of the excavations, artifact categories, and site formation processes for the prehistoric sites. Of particular concern is the analysis of the cordage characterizing the late Early through Late Woodland Deptford, St. Catherines, and Savannah series wares. In addition, the study incorporated radiometric dating of several components, palynological excavation of- the sites, analysis of shellfish remains, and a detailed discussion of the faunal and ethnobotanical materials recovered. For Callawassie Island a detailed discussion of the tabby structures, including a sugar mill, slave settlement, and main settlement, has been incorporated. The Callawassie Island sugar mill is the only such structure reported for South Carolina, but is similar to others identified in Georgia. Unfortunately, all of the historic settlements on Callawassie Island are located in areas either currently developed or sold to private individuals. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures . vi List of Tables .... vii Acknowledgements ... viii Introduction .. Michael Trinkley. 1 Background Goals Curation Natural Setting .. Michael Trinkley .............. 10 Climate Geology and Soils Floristics Prehistoric and Historic Overview Mona Grunden and Michael Trinkley .... 18 Prehistoric Archaeology History of Spring Island Historic of Callawassie Island Research Strategy and Methods .. Michael Trinkley ....... 39 Introduction Archival Research Field Survey Excavations Laboratory and Analysis Methods Sites Identified on Callawassie Island .. Michael Trinkley ... 49 Introduction Identified Sites Summary Prehistoric Archaeological Investigations Michael Trinkley and Debi Hacker . 68 38BU19 38BU464 38BU1214 38BU1249 38BU1262 Historic Archaeological Investigations at 38BU1214 .. Debi Hacker and Michael Trinkley ..... 104 Introduction Excavations Artifact Analysis Synthesis Callawassie Island Sugar Works: A Tabby Building Complex .• Colin Brooker .............. 110 Introduction Cane Production in South Carolina 1800-1840 Processing Description Associated Settlement iv Conclusions Analysis of Oyster Remains from Spring and Callawassie Islands .. David Lawrence ...... 155 Shellfish from 38BU1214, Spring Island Shellfish from 38BU19, 38BU464, 38BU1249, and 38BU1262, Callawassie Island Pollen Analysis of Samples from Spring and Callawassie Islands .. Arthur D. Cohen .............173 Analysis of Samples from 38BU1214, Spring Island Analysis of Samples from Callawassie Island The Faunal Remais from the Five Archaeological Sites on Spring and Callawassie Islands .. Jack H. Wilson, Jr ............ 177 Introduction Analytical Techniques Identified Fauna from the Prehistoric Sites Analysis of the Prehistoric Faunal Remains Conclusions Concerning the Prehistoric Faunal Collections Identified Fauna from the Historic Component, 38BU1214 Results of the Historic Component Faunal Analysis Conclusions Synthesis .. Michael Trinkley .................209 Prehistoric Archaeology Historical Archaeology Sources Cited . .222 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Callawassie and Spring Island area. 2 2. Woodland Phases in the South Carolina locality. 19 3. 1812 plan showing Callawassie Island. 31 4. Callawassie Island in the late antebellum period 32 5. Callawassie Island in 1873 . 35 6. 1943 Okatie quadrangle showing Callawassie Island. 37 7. Survey tracts on Callawassie Island. 44 8. Percentage of sites by assemblage. 65 9. Percentage of sites on· well drained soils. 65 10. Site 38BU19. 69 11. View of 38BU19, village area 69 12. 38BU464 shovel tests. 75 13. Excavations at 38BU464 . 76 14. Feature 3, 38BU464 . 79 15. 250R730-740, 255-265R730, 255-265R740, 255R750-760 81 16. 38BU1214 . 85 17. Main block excavation at 38BU1214. 89 18. Distribution of Deptford pottery 90 19. Distribution of lithics. 90 20. Feature 2.. .... 92 21. Feature 8. 92 22. Drilled oyster shells. 96 23. 38BU1249 excavations 96 24. Site 38BU1249. 97 25. Site 38BU1262. .100 26. Troweling 260R510-520. .101 27. Historic occupation area at 38BU1214 .105 28. Excavations in the historic block. .105 29. Examples of cuban vertical and horizonal grinding mills .. 120 30. Cheap sugar mill from Georgia. .120 31. Horizontal sugar mills. .122 32. Fawcet~s iron horizontal mill .122 33. Spalding's sugar works . .l30 34. Louisiana sugar works. .130 35. 38BU409 sugar works on Callawassie . .134 36. Plan view of the 38BU409 boiling house .137 37. Elevations of the 38BU409 boiling house. .139 38. Hopeton "fire train" . • . .141 39. 38BU409, plan of structures near the sugar mill. .148 40. Structure VI . .148 41. Pollen diagrams for 38BU1214, 70R80. .174 42. Pollen diagram for 38BU1214, 130R120 .175 43. Comparison of pottery. .211 44. Radiocarbon dates. .211 45. Recovered ceramics. .213 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Soils on Cal1awassie Island. 14 2. Sites on Cal1awassie Island. 63 3. Shell/soil ratios for 38BU464 middens. 78 4. Components of selected column samples at 38BU464 79 5. Shell/soil ratios for 38BU1214 middens 87 6. Comparison of middens at 38BU1214. 88 7. Artifact pattern analysis at 38BU1214. .107 8. Mean ceramic dating for 38BU1214 . .108 9. Oysters from 38BU1214. .157 10. Left oysters valves from Callawassie sites .163 11. Large oysters from Callawassie sites. .163 12. Allometric values used in faunal study .181 13. Faunal data for 38BU1214 .184 14. Faunal data for 38BU19 . .185 15. Faunal data for 38BU464. .186 16. Faunal data for 38BU1249 .187 17. Faunal data for 38BU1262 .187 18. Faunal categories at 38BU1214. .188 19. Faunal categories at 38BU19. .189 20. Faunal categories at 38BU464 . .189 21. Faunal categories at 38BU1249. .191 22. Faunal categories at 38BU1262. .192 23. Rank of faunal species at 38BU1214 and 38BU464 .192 24. Diversity and equitability of prehistoric faunal samples .193 25. Bone element distribution of deer. .196 26. Pattern comparisons of faunal remains. .196 27. Faunal data for 38BU1214 historic component. .198 28. Faunal categories at 38BU1214 historic component .199 29. Diversity and equitability of historic faunal sample .205 30. Bone element distribution of historic faunal sample. .205 31. Pattern compaisons of historic faunal remains. .. .207 vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was funded under a series of three agreements, one from Callawassie Island Development Corporation for an archaeological survey of selected portions of Callawassie Island, a second also from Callawassie Island Development Corporation for data recovery excavations at four sites on the island (38BU19, 38BU464, 38BU1249, and 38BU1262), and the third from the Spring Island