Abstracts
Session Abstract:
Thematic Session: Hanna African American Cemetery
Panelists: Terrie Gaskins-Bryant, Erica Johnson, Randall Schurlknight
Cemeteries are important sites of memory, heritage, and intergenerational connection. Over time, many Black cemeteries have been lost to descendants, as properties have changed hands over the years and the cemeteries have not been registered with state agencies. This has left them neglected, overgrown, and hidden. One such example is the Hanna African American Cemetery, located just outside Lake City, South Carolina. Once a burial ground for Black individuals enslaved by the Hanna, Barr, Eaddy, and Brown families, the current landowner has been very amenable to our preservation work. To date, using death certificates and funeral announcements/obituaries, we have identified 48 individuals buried at Hanna African American Cemetery between 1916 and 2010. We have also established relationships between those interred in Hanna and other cemeteries using death certificates, obituaries, and census records. Currently, our project team includes descendants, Francis Marion University faculty, and Lynches Lake Historical Society and Museum staff. The next phase of the project will include FMU students as well as faculty and students from Coastal Carolina University. We still have a great deal of work ahead of us to complete the clearing of the overgrowth, surveying and documenting, and creating a perpetual care plan. South Carolina academics, students, and public historians are working with descendants in the area to preserve this Black cemetery and offer some reparatory justice. Our panel includes three members of the research team who will share their perspectives on the project.
Paper Abstracts:
Altizer, Kendy (University of North Georgia) and Martha Zierden (Charleston Museum) Between the Rivers: Enslaved Life in the Santee Delta.
The Santee Delta, which lies between the North and South Santee Rivers, is the largest delta system east of the Mississippi. Beginning in the mid-18th century, this remote and vast tidal freshwater bald cypress-tupelo gum swamp and marsh system was converted into rice fields by enslaved labor. By the early 19th century, laborers had cleared 10,000 acres of trees and constructed a system of earthen banks and canals to control the freshwater tides for the purpose of rice cultivation. This enterprise required year-round labor, so villages and mills were also built in the delta, either on islands or placed within man-made embankments in the marsh, to support all aspects of rice production. Portions of this vast network, including remnants of some of this infrastructure, are still visible from the air today. The Santee Delta Project, led by Dr. Richard Porcher, aims to record the sites and cultural resources of the Santee Delta before they are lost to rising waters. A settlement on Atchison’s Creek, once occupied by enslaved individuals, is the first subject of archaeological testing. As part of this project, students from the University of North Georgia excavated within an area marked by the remains of nine chimney pads. The project was exploratory and designed to learn what types of material culture, if any, might survive in a small, isolated labor camp during the height of Lowcountry rice culture. The waterlogged site produced a remarkable assemblage of artifacts, including organic remains.
Barnes, Jodi A. and Jamie Dozier (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources) Coming Home: Laying the Groundwork for Community-centered Archaeology at White Marsh Plantation.
At White Marsh Plantation, located on Cat Island in Georgetown County, South Carolina, Gullah Geechee people labored in the rice fields and built communities in the settlement of the former rice plantation and later hunt club. In this paper, the authors discuss preliminary research methods utilized in preparation for community-centered archaeological fieldwork. These methods include cemetery mapping, archival research, and genealogy as well as community involvement in identifying people in historic photographs, landscape memory mapping, and oral history. This preliminary research lays the groundwork for sustained community-centered archaeology and targeted household excavations to learn more about the families who lived and labored on the plantation.
Bornheim, Savannah (University of South Carolina) Saying their Names: The Role of Newspaper Ads in Revealing the Lives of Enslaved People at Georgetown County Archaeological Sites.
Sharing the names of enslaved individuals is a crucial step in honoring them, recognizing their lived experience, and providing valuable context to archaeological sites. This research explores the use of historical newspaper advertisements to learn the names of enslaved individuals associated with archaeological sites on Cat Island and Hobcaw Barony. Numerous archaeology sites have been tested and excavated along the coast of Georgetown, SC but identifying information about the enslaved population is scarce. Traditional sources like estate inventories and sales have provided many names, but newspaper ads can add to the list of names and provide more details. By integrating primary newspaper sources with archaeological evidence, this study uncovers the names and personal details of enslaved people who lived and labored at the sites. Newspapers are one of the few sources that include names and specifications about the enslaved individuals on a plantation. Notices about runaway slaves, either posting a reward or announcing their jailing, are common features of many antebellum newspapers. These ads are the main focus of this study; they provide names, heights, distinguishing features, clothing information and more about runaways. This research asserts that local newspapers are a critical tool in historical archaeology, offering a richer, more nuanced picture of the lives of those who are marginalized in the historical record. Results can be used for additional context at community engagement events and provide valuable insight on local enslaved populations to future archaeologists beginning excavations or research on Hobcaw Barony or Cat Island.
Gaskins-Bryant, Terrie (St. Teresa Community Outreach and Empowerment) Descendants and the Hanna African American Cemetery.
I am the director of a Lake City non-profit, St. Teresa Community Outreach and Empowerment. I am also a descendant of the Black people buried at the Hanna African American Cemetery. I am the great-granddaughter of Gus Hanna (1846-1916) and the granddaughter of Lorrie Hanna (1896-1943). I conducted considerable genealogical research on the Hanna African American Cemetery and established a relationship with the current landowner in order to gain access to the cemetery. Once I saw the state of overgrowth, I reached out to Dr. Johnson about resources, and she informed me that she was already working on a similar project on FMU property. I also visited the Lynches Lake Historical Society and Museum as well as the Kingstree Courthouse to research more about the landowners. I met Schurlknight, who later joined our team as well. Unfortunately, FMU’s archaeologist left, so I turned to Dr. David Palmer at Coastal Carolina University for his expertise, and he will be bringing students to the cemetery in fall 2024 and spring 2025.
Johnson, Erica (Francis Marion University) Universities Studying Slavery and the Hanna African American Cemetery.
In addition to being a history professor, I am also the coordinator of the Universities Studying Slavery program at FMU. In this capacity, I work on and off campus to preserve the Black histories of the Pee Dee region. Having worked with Dr. Gaskins-Bryant on previous projects, I was honored when she invited us to help with the Hanna African American Cemetery. I began by building upon her genealogical work to identify individuals buried at the cemetery through death certificates and funeral announcements/obituaries. Using that information, I established a FindaGrave. I have also engaged in fieldwork at the cemetery, helping with clearing overgrowth and marking graves. Schurlknight and I have drafted a report for Dr. Gaskins-Bryant to use in acquiring grants as well as a plan of action for our group to pursue as we begin to partner with archaeologist Dr. David Palmer and his students from Coastal Carolina University.
Lanning, Rachel and Eleanor Davis (University of South Carolina) Archaeology and Enslavement on USC’s Historic Horseshoe.
Between May 27th and June 13th, 2024, field school students under the direction of Dr. Kelly Goldberg (USC) completed excavations on the University of South Carolina’s Horseshoe. The goal of this project was to continue the work begun in Spring 2024 by students enrolled in the course “Digging Through the Past: Exploring the Archaeological Resources of USC,” also taught by Dr. Goldberg. This project excavated areas on the Horseshoe associated with the original President’s House and the surrounding green areas. The house was located at the top of the Horseshoe, where the McKissick Museum is now located. Both projects aimed to locate the foundation of the original President’s House, as well as associated outbuildings, in order to gain insight on the enslaved individuals who worked on the Horseshoe from the start of its construction around 1801. The foundation of the house itself was never identified during either project, however, during field school, students found an array of historical artifacts as well as evidence supporting the location of outbuildings, as indicated by an 1880 Sanborn fire insurance map of campus. These artifacts and features provide a material history of enslavement on campus, which is otherwise unavailable to the public. As of today, only one enslaved cabin stands on campus, with the work done in the field school, the location of a second outbuilding has been identified that can tell the story of enslaved individuals on campus. Now that artifacts and features are present, research and interpretation can be done to tell the stories of how students, faculty, and enslaved individuals interacted with the space to broaden the scope of historical perspective on campus.
Lindler, Joseph A., Jr (University of South Carolina) The Wilma Croft Collection: Lithic Analysis of 18th & 19th Century Gunflints at Cowden Plantation.
The Wilma Croft surface collection was donated to the Southeastern Paleoamerican Survey (SEPAS) a division of the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology & Anthropology (SCIAA) in 2017 to further the documentation of human occupations of the Savannah River valley. The Croft Collection is the result of 30+ years of surface collecting on Cowden Plantation in Aiken County, South Carolina by Wilma Croft. Cowden Plantation sits adjacent to the Savannah River in Aiken County and contains documented artifacts from Indigenous occupations as far back as the pre-Clovis era (14,000+ years ago) to the early 20th century. During the 19th century, Cowden Plantation was previously owned and operated by James Henry Hammond and his descendants. While many of the artifacts in the Croft collection are Indigenous in origin, the gunflints in the collection seem to represent a mixture of both local and imported manufacture during the 18th and 19th centuries. By analyzing the gunflints from the Croft Collection from Cowden Plantation, we will be able to better understand not only the prevalence of occupation during the 18th & 19th centuries, but also the manufacturing styles, trade and exchange in Aiken County in relation to the local political landscape, as well as the types of armaments that were present in the area during the occupation. This study uses measurements of 211 individual gunflints from the Croft collection to analyze them for comparison to known armaments of the period. This study intends to demonstrate the functionality and origin through metric data to gain a better understanding of the types of firearms used in the Cowden Plantation area, while also inspecting the materials used to operate them during the 18th and 19th centuries through using a well provenanced collection by an avocationalist for collaboration with archaeological research in the area.
Palmer, David T. (Coastal Carolina University) Rice, Life, Taskscape: Investigations of Captive African Living and Working Spaces at Laurel Hill Plantation, Georgetown County, South Carolina.
Laurel Hill was one of the Waccamaw Neck rice plantations featured in the late Charles Joyner’s groundbreaking 1984 book “Down by the Riverside: A South Carolina Slave Community.” Remnants of the late 18th-19th century plantation include a standing brick rice mill chimney, brick and tabby ruins from rice processing and housing structures, a barge slip, canals, and earthen fortifications. These features are located on the northeastern portion of the educational non-profit Brookgreen Gardens’ property. A Coastal Carolina University led team of faculty, students, and volunteers has completed three archaeological field seasons at the site. We have relocated structures noted in Leslie Drucker’s 1980 survey, mapped water control features, and recovered details about the construction, chronology, and activities around three of the structure ruins. The evidence we have found to date corresponds with occupation of the structures during the first half of the 19th-century, during the ownership of Weston family enslavers. Structure D, investigated in May 2024, seems to have been an agro-industrial working building. Structures A and B, investigated in 2022 and 2023, had more evidence of having been residences for Captive Africans. We have access to names and some details of some of the individuals who lived at Laurel Hill among the records left by the enslavers. Among these are a description of “Carpenter Jack” who ran away from Laurel Hill in 1807. Artifacts recovered include low-fired earthenware that may well be Colonoware made on site, spiny whelk shells, tobacco pipe fragments, and other evocative traces. Our findings inform Brookgreen Gardens’ public interpretation of the lives of the African Captives of Laurel Hill, one of the regional communities who helped create Gullah culture, and contribute to the broader body of knowledge about the contributions of Captive Africans to our culture, economy, and history.
Rouse, Jesse (Coastal Carolina University) Looking into the Past: Using Consumer Imaging to Collect Site Data.
Over the last half century archaeology has progressively relied to a greater extent on remote sensing technologies such as satellite imagery. With the explosion of image collection technologies that are affordable in the last 15 years there has been broader access to an array of imaging solutions for professional and personal use. This has led to an increase in adoption in traditional and close-range remote sensing that has shifted us from traditional photos for site detection and recording to utilizing 360 imagery for representation, photogrammetry for low cost 3D models, and even to the use of lidar for high accuracy, measurable records of artifacts, features, and sites. This presentation will provide examples of low cost 360 imagery, photogrammetry, and lidar through use cases in the SC Low Country to highlight ways that these technologies, related software, and the data they capture can help us record and share information about extant and excavated remains.
Schurlknight, Randall (Lynches Lake Historical Society) Lynches Lake and the Hanna African American Cemetery.
I am a history alumnus from FMU, and I currently work for Lynches Lake Historical Society and Museum. Our organization is committed to broadening the scope of Lake City’s historical narratives through projects and initiatives like this one. The Hanna African American Cemetery is one example of previously unknown and silenced histories of the area. My work on the Hanna Cemetery project has primarily centered around working with Dr. Gaskins-Bryant and Dr. Johnson in identifying past landowners as well as some genealogy of those who are buried there. Further, I have taken part in fieldwork, helping with the clearing efforts to create more ease of access to the cemetery, while also uncovering markers, headstones, and other associated grave goods. I am applying the skills I learned while earning my degree to engage with descendants in Lake City.
Sherard, Jeff L. (Brockington and Associates) and Kathleen Aller (College of Charleston) Developing Community and Career: Retaining Lowcountry Archaeological Traditions and Methods Through Cultural Resources Management Internships.
Some of the most important archaeological sites occupy spaces within the South Carolina Lowcountry. Cultural resource management (CRM) firms have traditionally relied on a steady stream of field school-trained graduates to staff technician positions to investigate some of them. In reaction to shifting anthropology departments’ research and teaching goals, increased labor needs within the industry, and growing diversity within the discipline, some CRM firms have turned to non-traditional teaching and training opportunities. In affiliation with the College of Charleston’s Sociology and Anthropology Department, Brockington and Associates has developed a paid undergraduate internship to expose them to many facets of the CRM and 106 process. This paper will present the internship goals and operation, the variety of experiences and opportunities from both the corporate and intern perspective, and as a way to broaden awareness for the program while potentially helping to develop new community partnerships.
Schleier, Jon (Public Archaeology Corps) Public Archaeology Corps: Ten Years In.
Public Archaeology Corps is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to solving the crisis of archaeological site loss on privately owned land through a mixture of public outreach, student engagement and volunteerism. Originally founded in 2013, PAC serves the greater New Hanover County area with a goal to expand throughout North Carolina. Over the past decade, we have gradually expanded our reach through several different field projects and a growing volunteer base. It is our assertion that the practice of volunteer archaeology not only inform the public about our shared archaeological heritage, but builds community through shared work and goals. In this talk, we take a look at what PAC has accomplished and where we hope to go.
Stephenson, Keith (South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology), George Lewis Heath and Henry Brown (former residents of the Hawthorne community) Reconstructing Hawthorne Through Community Engaged Archaeology.
The rural community of Hawthorne was situated on what is today the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Plant (SRP), in Aiken County, South Carolina. The archaeological landscape of Hawthorne’s 25 square-miles consists of numerous yeoman and tenant farm sites along with a school, church, and several country stores. A decade ago, I began a sociological and archaeological study of this rural community as it existed during the Great Depression. Discursive interviews with former residents reveal a social reality grounded in a community-based structure typical for the Deep South during the first half of the 20th century. Engagement with former residents, displaced during the initial building of the SRP for the Cold War, has enabled reconstruction of the historical landscape including social relationships among citizens of the Hawthorne community.
Taylor, Samantha, Sarah Lowry, and Ben Porter (New South Associates) The Intersection of Archaeology and Middle School Social Studies Curriculum: A Case Study of the Cypress Street School Archaeology Project, Guilford County, North Carolina.
This paper will discuss a 2020-2024 case study of the Cypress Street School Archaeology Project in Guilford County, North Carolina. The Cypress Street School Archaeology Project is a collaborative effort between cultural resources firm, New South Associates, Inc., and the Melvin C. Swann Jr. Middle School (Swann Middle School). In 2020, New South Associates, Inc. partnered with the social studies faculty at Swann Middle School to provide students with hands-on experience researching and surveying the Cypress Street School (31GF601), a historic site on Swann Middle School’s campus, as part of their social studies curriculum. The work consisted of archival research, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey, and unit excavation. Students were involved in every step of the process, including examining historic maps, participating in the GPR survey, developing research questions, and determining excavation unit locations. The project culminated in a three-day excavation at Site 31GF601 where every student at Swann Middle School learned to excavate, identify artifacts, and examine features, along with a public archaeology event at the Swann Middle School’s centennial celebration where the local community, and students and their families were able to take part in additional excavations.
Wingard, George (South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of South Carolina), An Archaeological Field School Experience at Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site, Beech Island, South Carolina.
This short film highlights a collaborative project between the University of South Carolina, Claflin University, South Carolina State University, South Carolina State Parks, Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site, and The Savannah River Archaeological Research Program. All organization worked together to introduce HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) students to a hands-on archaeological experience.
Wood, M. Jared (Georgia Southern University) In Search of Community: Milling in the Georgia Frontier.
Despite its prominence in period accounts, its support of entrepreneurial endeavors, and its necessity in the framework of everyday lives, the cutting and milling of timber in the colonial deep south is understudied and underrepresented archaeologically. This presentation explores the search for, and documentation of, a richly intact sawmill community in frontier Georgia. Archival, field, and laboratory efforts conducted by the author and Georgia Southern University field program students have steadily revealed spatial, cultural, and economic aspects of life in the 18th Century. While these findings promise insight to the topic at large, and to the dynamics and complexities of a multi-ethnic community of inherent inequalities operating in a time of great social and political upheaval, this ongoing project poses both opportunities and challenges unique to the discovery and documentation of important heritage on private lands. Ultimately, it is our hope to connect community past with community present, and simultaneously support exploration, education, and active engagement with stakeholders.