Archaeological Collaborations with the South Carolina State Parks
University of Tennessee | SC State Parks
Since 2021, I have been collaborating with South Carolina State Parks Archaeologist Stacey Young to conduct geophysical and terrestrial archaeological surveys at several park properties across the state. To date, this work has included volunteer ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys, cemetery delineations, and a field school offered through the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site
19th Century Plantation | Aiken County, South Carolina
Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site is the location of a 19th century cotton plantation located in west-central South Carolina near the Savannah River in Aiken County. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and is one of the top 10 sites listed on the Green Book of South Carolina, a travel guide to African American cultural and heritage sites across the site.
Investigations at Redcliffe have included a geophysical investigation of the area immediately north of the Beech Island Cemetery, located east of the site core near the park boundary. Click on the video to learn more about our GPR setup and see some shots of the work in progress.
Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site
19th Century Plantation | Union County, South Carolina
In May 2021, I organized a field school through the University of Tennessee-Knoxville to conduct a Phase II investigation at Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site, a former 19th-century cotton plantation in Union County, South Carolina. The goal of the investigation was to explore the archaeological potential of Locus 5, the site core located behind the main house, to explore evidence of potential enslaved quarter sites. The fieldwork also included a preliminary delineation of an enslaved cemetery adjacent to Rose Hill, in partnership with the US Forest Service at Sumter National Forest.
Stay tuned for more information on the project.
