This paper's genesis is the perception that archaeologists' communal memory of the early days of ... more This paper's genesis is the perception that archaeologists' communal memory of the early days of South Carolina plantation archaeology is fading, incomplete or at times overly judgmental. In order to combat this loss, some of the projects, processes and theoretical orientations that affected South Carolina's plantation studies are explored. Examples of influential forces are the growth of Cultural Research Management (CRM), burgeoning museum and university programs in historical archaeology, and initially the Tricentennial and Bicentennial. Early references have been searched, including much of the "grey literature" and archaeologists and administrators in academia, government and private industry have been interviewed. Interview topics include early theoretical perspectives and how they relate to field and laboratory methods. Statistical methods have not been used in this study; results are interpretive and qualitative rather than quantitative. Instead, examples have been drawn from the literature of the period to illustrate trends in early South Carolina plantation archaeology. THE FIRST PLANTATION EXCAVATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA Although large plantation-related CRM projects began in the late 1970s, initial plantation explorations began in South Carolina a decade earlier. In the 1960s and 1970s interest in funding historical archaeology investigations blossomed due to South Carolina and Charleston's Tricentennial (1970) and the U.S. Bicentennial (1976)-driven search for historic sites. To date the earliest recorded plantation excavation is at Old Town Plantation. In 1967-1968 the South Carolina Tricentennial Commission hired a local amateur archaeologist, John Miller, to search for the seventeenth-century Charles Towne Landing site (38CH1) (South 1971:8). Miller thought he found those ruins. Stan South and John Combes were hired in 1968-1969 through the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA) to do more work. Through slot-trench testing they realized that Miller had instead uncovered the remains of the Horry-Lucas House (38CH1-11), built about 1780 (South 1971:69,86). South and Combes' tests also revealed nineteenth-century slave houses' foundations (South 1971:86-88). [No colonoware is mentioned (see also South 1971:124).] The main purpose of SCIAA's work was to uncover the remains of the 1670s Charles Towne Landing site, so no more work was undertaken at the plantation ruins. Archaeological investigations are still undertaken at federal and state-owned plantation sites. These occur under government or grant-funded professional and student research projects. An example is Beck's intriguing work at Brattonsville Plantation, a backcountry agrarian site (1998). Government-owned plantation sites are also investigated under the auspices of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) projects if legal conditions warrant it (e.g., Stine et. al. 1994).
Synthesizing a wealth of research in archaeology, geography, and history, the essays in this volu... more Synthesizing a wealth of research in archaeology, geography, and history, the essays in this volume focus on the rich and varied landscapes of South Carolina and parts of North Carolina. Their interdisciplinary approach will deepen the reader's understanding of how ...
Interdisciplinary research demonstrates that the extant Hoskins log cabin (31GF413**), at Tannenb... more Interdisciplinary research demonstrates that the extant Hoskins log cabin (31GF413**), at Tannenbaum Historic Park in Greensboro, North Carolina, is located on or near an eighteenth-century house site. The Park is part of the Guilford Courthouse Battlefield National Historic Landmark and is believed to be the location where General Cornwallis formed the first British line of attack which proceeded into the current Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. Archaeology and Geography faculty and students from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro used a landscape perspective, geographic information systems, and historical archaeology to explore the occupation of this farm from the American Revolution to the present.
Archaeologists are integral in National Park Service (NPS) culture. Some archaeologists "wear the... more Archaeologists are integral in National Park Service (NPS) culture. Some archaeologists "wear the hat" and the authoritative uniform symbolizing the park service, yet non-park service archaeologists can work at the parks with research permits under the Archaeological Resource Protection Act of 1979 (ARPA permits [Neumann et al. 2010]) or with a cultural resource contract award. Both endeavors provide information to help individual parks meet their management and interpretative goals. An added benefit for these archaeologists is working at some of the country's most beautiful, always intriguing, and often endangered archaeological sites. NPS cultural resources range from southwestern pueblos to Revolutionary battlefields, urban historic sites, and coastal lighthouses. Most national parks contain spaces and places with varied, large, and vocal constituencies, including archaeologists. To promote, regulate, conserve, preserve, and certify public enjoyment-these ideas reverberate a century after the park service's founding and are detailed in its national strategies (Everhart 1983; NPS 2011). A brief review of NPS history and of some of its leaders illustrates how archaeologists influenced this oftenromanticized public organization. An example of how interdisciplinary archaeological research works at a national park follows that discussion.
Blue beads are consistent finds at African-American sites. Archaeologists acknowledge these artif... more Blue beads are consistent finds at African-American sites. Archaeologists acknowledge these artifacts were used for adornment, yet some researchers also propose beads possessed additional cultural meaning among African Americans. For this study bead data from African-American sites in the South are analyzed. The results indicate blue is the predominant bead color. The prevalence of these items suggests they may indeed have been an important yet unrecognized aspect of African-American culture. The multiple underlying meanings assigned to blue beads are considered through reference to ethnographic information, folklore, and oral history associated with West and Central Africa and the Southeast.
This paper's genesis is the perception that archaeologists' communal memory of the early days of ... more This paper's genesis is the perception that archaeologists' communal memory of the early days of South Carolina plantation archaeology is fading, incomplete or at times overly judgmental. In order to combat this loss, some of the projects, processes and theoretical orientations that affected South Carolina's plantation studies are explored. Examples of influential forces are the growth of Cultural Research Management (CRM), burgeoning museum and university programs in historical archaeology, and initially the Tricentennial and Bicentennial. Early references have been searched, including much of the "grey literature" and archaeologists and administrators in academia, government and private industry have been interviewed. Interview topics include early theoretical perspectives and how they relate to field and laboratory methods. Statistical methods have not been used in this study; results are interpretive and qualitative rather than quantitative. Instead, examples have been drawn from the literature of the period to illustrate trends in early South Carolina plantation archaeology. THE FIRST PLANTATION EXCAVATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA Although large plantation-related CRM projects began in the late 1970s, initial plantation explorations began in South Carolina a decade earlier. In the 1960s and 1970s interest in funding historical archaeology investigations blossomed due to South Carolina and Charleston's Tricentennial (1970) and the U.S. Bicentennial (1976)-driven search for historic sites. To date the earliest recorded plantation excavation is at Old Town Plantation. In 1967-1968 the South Carolina Tricentennial Commission hired a local amateur archaeologist, John Miller, to search for the seventeenth-century Charles Towne Landing site (38CH1) (South 1971:8). Miller thought he found those ruins. Stan South and John Combes were hired in 1968-1969 through the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA) to do more work. Through slot-trench testing they realized that Miller had instead uncovered the remains of the Horry-Lucas House (38CH1-11), built about 1780 (South 1971:69,86). South and Combes' tests also revealed nineteenth-century slave houses' foundations (South 1971:86-88). [No colonoware is mentioned (see also South 1971:124).] The main purpose of SCIAA's work was to uncover the remains of the 1670s Charles Towne Landing site, so no more work was undertaken at the plantation ruins. Archaeological investigations are still undertaken at federal and state-owned plantation sites. These occur under government or grant-funded professional and student research projects. An example is Beck's intriguing work at Brattonsville Plantation, a backcountry agrarian site (1998). Government-owned plantation sites are also investigated under the auspices of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) projects if legal conditions warrant it (e.g., Stine et. al. 1994).
Synthesizing a wealth of research in archaeology, geography, and history, the essays in this volu... more Synthesizing a wealth of research in archaeology, geography, and history, the essays in this volume focus on the rich and varied landscapes of South Carolina and parts of North Carolina. Their interdisciplinary approach will deepen the reader's understanding of how ...
Interdisciplinary research demonstrates that the extant Hoskins log cabin (31GF413**), at Tannenb... more Interdisciplinary research demonstrates that the extant Hoskins log cabin (31GF413**), at Tannenbaum Historic Park in Greensboro, North Carolina, is located on or near an eighteenth-century house site. The Park is part of the Guilford Courthouse Battlefield National Historic Landmark and is believed to be the location where General Cornwallis formed the first British line of attack which proceeded into the current Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. Archaeology and Geography faculty and students from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro used a landscape perspective, geographic information systems, and historical archaeology to explore the occupation of this farm from the American Revolution to the present.
Archaeologists are integral in National Park Service (NPS) culture. Some archaeologists "wear the... more Archaeologists are integral in National Park Service (NPS) culture. Some archaeologists "wear the hat" and the authoritative uniform symbolizing the park service, yet non-park service archaeologists can work at the parks with research permits under the Archaeological Resource Protection Act of 1979 (ARPA permits [Neumann et al. 2010]) or with a cultural resource contract award. Both endeavors provide information to help individual parks meet their management and interpretative goals. An added benefit for these archaeologists is working at some of the country's most beautiful, always intriguing, and often endangered archaeological sites. NPS cultural resources range from southwestern pueblos to Revolutionary battlefields, urban historic sites, and coastal lighthouses. Most national parks contain spaces and places with varied, large, and vocal constituencies, including archaeologists. To promote, regulate, conserve, preserve, and certify public enjoyment-these ideas reverberate a century after the park service's founding and are detailed in its national strategies (Everhart 1983; NPS 2011). A brief review of NPS history and of some of its leaders illustrates how archaeologists influenced this oftenromanticized public organization. An example of how interdisciplinary archaeological research works at a national park follows that discussion.
Blue beads are consistent finds at African-American sites. Archaeologists acknowledge these artif... more Blue beads are consistent finds at African-American sites. Archaeologists acknowledge these artifacts were used for adornment, yet some researchers also propose beads possessed additional cultural meaning among African Americans. For this study bead data from African-American sites in the South are analyzed. The results indicate blue is the predominant bead color. The prevalence of these items suggests they may indeed have been an important yet unrecognized aspect of African-American culture. The multiple underlying meanings assigned to blue beads are considered through reference to ethnographic information, folklore, and oral history associated with West and Central Africa and the Southeast.
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Papers by Linda F Stine