From George Stubbs:
Here in February’s newsletter. Please note that our next normal meeting is next Saturday the 11th at 1:00 PM in Discovery House. Our speaker is Dr. Jon Leader, the State Archaeologist.
Posts Tagged ‘archaeology’
Chris Judge at Hilton Head
September 21, 2016From George:
Reminder – the September meeting [of the Hilton Head Chapter, ASSC’ is this Saturday, the 24th, at 1:00 PM, Discovery House [Coastal Discovery Museum, Honey Horn Plantation, Hilton Head.] Our good friend Chris Judge will be our speaker.
Santa Elena History Center Programs, 7/19 – 8/05
July 14, 2016Join us for a variety of special programs and presentations
In the Lecture Room of the Santa Elena History Center meet characters from our past, dive into the layers of the Santa Elena story, learn about the scientific aspect of archaeology, meet special guests in Beaufort, and much more! Click here to register online and reserve your seat!
Colonial Amusements
What’s for dinner? 16th Century Spanish Cuisine in the Lowcountry
Join us as we discuss what the Santa Elena colonists ate, and how their food consumption affected their successes and, ultimately, their departure. How challenging it must have been to feed 16th Century Spaniards with lowcountry foodstuff!
July 19, 2016 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Santa Elena History Center
1501 Bay St., Beaufort, SC 29902
Cost: $10.00
Instructor: Kelly McCombs
Basic Navigation and Tools of the 16th Century Explorers
Today we move about with the aid of satellite-based navigation tools and Internet maps. Researchers are even confident that we will have self-driving vehicles in just a few years. This course allows you to learn the art of navigation and to discover the methods sailors used 500 years ago. Learn from master navigators Howard Heckrotte and Doug Nelson to plot a course using a sextant, quadrant, compass, and chronometer. Learn how these 16th Century tools advanced European discovery and exploration of the New World.
July 21, 2016 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Santa Elena History Center
1501 Bay St., Beaufort, SC 29902
Cost: $10.00
Instructor: Howard Heckrotte and Doug Nelson
Cactus Throne: Maximilian and Carlota’s Mexico
This program details Napoléon III’s intrepid scheme to install Maximilian von Habsburg as emperor of Mexico, and the effort’s end in disaster for France and for Maximilian and Carlota.
July 23, 2016 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Santa Elena History Center
1501 Bay St., Beaufort, SC 29902
Cost: $10.00
Instructor: Dr. James Tisdale
To see a full calendar of events and programs happening each week click here, and check with us often as programs continue to be added.
SUMMER CAMPS!!
JOIN US FOR THESE NEW SUMMER CAMPS AT THE SANTA ELENA HISTORY CENTER WITH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN AGES 6 to 106.
#1 Summer Family History Package
Museum Tour, Colonial Medicine Program and Camp Dig-It come together to create a fun-filled day!
This family friendly (ages 6-adult) Summer History Program starts with a free 30 min self-guided tour of the Santa Elena History Center’s exhibit, “Santa Elena: America’s Untold Story”. A brief film will introduce you to the History of Santa Elena and a scavenger hunt will follow in the main exhibit hall.
Next, Peggy Pickett will lead you through a one hour program about colonial medicine. She will tell you what healthcare was like for people in colonial South Carolina. You will learn how people in the past dealt with sickness and disease by examining reproduction artifacts, and analyze the treatment given to George Washington during his final illness.Then you will join archaeologist Dwayne Pickett for a one hour Camp Dig-it program for an introduction to the field of archaeology. Participants in the program will have the opportunity to learn about the past as they excavate and identify artifacts from dig boxes.
July 26, 2016 @ 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Santa Elena History Center: 1501 Bay St., Beaufort, SC 29902
Cost: $20.00
Instructors: Dwayne Pickett and Peggy Pickett
#2 Extended Camp Dig-It Program
Brand new Camp Dig-It program for ages 7-12, based on the archaeology of Parris Island where the 1566 Spanish settlement of Santa Elena was located.
Participants will get an introduction to the field of archaeology and have the opportunity to learn about the past as they excavate and identify artifacts from dig boxes. Archaeologist Dwayne Pickett will lead you through two simulated excavations; one related to the colonial occupation of Parris Island and the other related to when the Spanish occupied the site. Participants will learn about life on Parris Island during these times periods and also be able to make and keep pottery like the Native American made, which was used by the Spanish at Santa Elena.
We will be taking a 30 min lunch from 12:00-12:30 so please bring a bagged lunch on the day of the program and dress to get dirty.
August 5, 2016 @ 10:30 am – 2:00 pm
Santa Elena History Center: 1501 Bay St., Beaufort, SC 29902
Cost: $35.00
Instructor: Dwayne Pickett
Inaugural Exhibit “Santa Elena: America’s Untold Story”
now open to the public in the beautiful, historic former courtroom
Tuesday-Saturday 10am – 4pm
Sunday 1pm – 4pm
Admission is $10/adult, $5/child (age 5-12), and free for children under 5, active duty and first responders.
SANTA ELENA HISTORY CENTER 1501 BAY STREET, BEAUFORT, SC 29902 843-379-1550 WWW.SANTA-ELENA.ORG
Sea Pines Shell Ring Archaeology Dig
May 3, 2016Courtesy of George Stubbs, Hilton Head Chapter, Archaeological Society of South Carolina:
Information Release
Sea Pines Archaeological Research Team (SPART)
April 29, 2016
Hilton Head Island has a deep history – including the presence of Native Americans dating back at least 4,000 years. Roughly the same age as the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge, Native Americans living on Hilton Head Island almost 4,000 years ago constructed the Sea Pines Shell Ring. Located within the Forest Preserve, the Sea Pines Shell Ring is a circular deposit of shellfish (mostly oysters and clams), measuring almost 200 feet across with a broad shell-free “plaza” in its center.
Including the Sea Pines Shell Ring, archaeologists have recorded almost 50 similar shell rings across the Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida coasts, yet they struggle to understand the purpose of these ancient constructions. Were they circular villages? Were they ceremonial meeting grounds? Or perhaps something else entirely?
In order to address these, and other questions, archaeologists from Binghamton University (New York State) will visit the Sea Pines Shell Ring and conduct research from May 24th to July 1st. Research will include mapping, excavations, and using cutting edge technologies, such as Ground Penetrating Radar, to investigate the history of this ancient site. Consultations with Native Americans, including representatives from the Catawba Nation, will also be conducted in an effort to understand the meaning of the shell ring.
Research will be done by trained professionals, but there are opportunities for the public to take part. The site will be staffed and the public are welcome to drop by Monday through Friday, 9am to 2pm to see how the project is progressing. There will also be “Public days” on June 16th and July 1st, during which the dig will provide tours, activities for kids, and chances to see artifacts recovered from the ring. The public can also volunteer to be docents, field crew, or photographers. Archaeologists will also be giving public talks during community meetings and at the Coastal Discovery Museum (dates TBA).
The hope is that this project will be carried out every summer for the next several years and will result in a better understanding of the deep history of Hilton Head Island. Reports will be made available to the public and there are preliminary plans to have an exhibit at the Coastal Discovery Museum once excavations have ceased. Input from the public is welcome.
Contact info – Dr. Matthew C. Sanger, msanger@binghamton.edu
For information about the shell ring and the Forest Preserve, please visit – http://www.exploreseapines.com/forest-preserve.asp
For information about the Coastal Discovery Museum, please visit – http://www.coastaldiscovery.org/
Details for Public Involvement
Docents: 1-2 volunteers will be needed every day (Monday-Friday) to act as docents and to help interact with the public. Hours are flexible, but generally 9am-2pm. Docents will be needed May 25th – July 1st. Docents do not need to be available for the entire 6 weeks, but we hope that they will be
available for at least 2 of the weeks. Docents do not need to come in everyday, but we hope they will come in at least 2 days/week.
Docents will be the public face of the project as they will be on site to answer questions from visitors. Docents will be trained by the archaeological staff and will be some of the first people to learn about finds from the site and how those finds might change our understandings of the shell ring. Anyone can be a docent, but preference will be given to current volunteers at the Coastal Discovery Museum.
Trainings for docents will be offered on May 25th, May 31st, and June 8th at 10am at the Shell Ring. Training will take roughly half an hour.
Volunteer Field Crew: We are able to support 3-5 volunteer field crew members. Volunteer field crew will be needed May 30th – July 1st. Volunteer field crew do not need to be available for the entire 5 weeks, but we hope that they will be available for at least 2 of the weeks. Volunteer field crew do not need to come in everyday, but we hope they will come in at least 3 days/week.
Volunteers will be expected to work 9am-2pm.
Field crew will assist in all stages of field research including: excavations, screening, mapping, and remote sensing. Tasks will be assigned based on the experience of the volunteer and their physical abilities. There are low-impact tasks for volunteers who are not interested/able to excavate as well as more physically demanding jobs for those who are. Anyone can be a docent, but preference will be given to current members of the Archaeological Society of South Carolina.
Training will be offered in the field on a one-on-one basis.
Photographers: We would appreciate the help of professional/amateur photographers in assisting our efforts to document the dig. Photographers will be needed May 25th – July 1st. Photographers do not need to be available for the entire 6 weeks, but we hope that they will be available for at least 2 of the weeks. Photographers do not need to come in everyday, but we hope they will come in at least 2 days/week.
Training will be offered in the field on a one-on-one basis.
Public Days: The public is always welcome to visit the site – but we have set aside two days, June 16th and July 1st, during which we will have tours, opportunities to see archaeology up close, demonstrations, and activities for kids. A more detailed description of the activities will be made available in the near future.
Beaufort County Historical Resources Consortium 