USC divers to study archaeology of shipwreck

USC divers to study archaeology of shipwreck

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - University of South Carolina maritime archaeologists are planning to teach students how to dive off the state's coast and uncover the secrets of an old shipwreck.

Spokeswoman Megan Sexton says Friday's event in Hilton Head Island features archaeologist Ashley Deming teaching a sport diver archaeology management course.

The course trains licensed scuba divers to become archaeological eyes and ears as they identify and record valuable information about the shipwreck.

Deming is using sections of a wooden vessel that was beached near the Harbor Town Golf Links and has a 10-foot portion that is exposed above water. Sexton says the vessel may be from the Civil War era and has not yet been explored by archaeologists

History underfoot in Cayce

Interesting piece in The State newspaper.

Couple buys house mainly to do archaeological dig in yard

Just add a video crew and the Saturday morning activity at the corner of Brookcliff and Riverland drives in Cayce could be a pilot for a new reality show – a combination of “Flip This House” and “The History Detectives

David and Modesta Brinkman bought a foreclosed house in the Riverland Park subdivision a couple of years ago primarily to do archaeological work in the yard. They have put some work into renovating the 1,050-square-foot home, but they won’t be selling it until their crew of history buffs finishes cutting one-meter square holes in the yard and sifting the dirt searching for artifacts

They’re finding plenty of pottery and glassware, pieces of brick and nails, and at least one pipe stem, mostly from the Revolutionary War era to the middle 19th century. Most of the artifacts are only a couple of feet below the surface.

You can read the rest here.

ASSC President’s Column

Summer is upon us and at ASSC that means it’s time to plan for Archaeology Field Day. ASSC Vice President Carl Steen, James Stewart (ASSC Board Member- at- Large) and I met recently with David Jones of SC Parks Recreation and Tourism about the October 20th event at Santee State Park. The plan is to open some excavations units at the park and allow visitors to help screen and perhaps excavate too. We are going to revive the lantern tour at dusk on Saturday night following a BBQ dinner. The lantern tour is a guided tour into the woods to visit camp fires of the prehistoric and historic past. We are also considering Native American dancers and drummers for an early evening performance. There will also be a day time tour of South Carolina’s largest Mississippian Mound at Fort Watson across the lake. More on the Archaeology Field Day will appear in Features and Profiles in the fall issue.

The ASSC Board met with the Presidents of Hilton Head and the Charleston Chapters in May to discuss items of mutual interest. The chapters need speakers for their monthly meetings and opportunities to participate in excavations locally. If you would be willing to speak on any aspect of archaeology to one of our chapters please contact me at judge@sc.edu. If you are conducting archaeology in the Hilton Head, Charleston or Spartanburg areas, there are energetic and active volunteers in the ranks of the ASSC membership ready and willing to assist you.

After experiencing low attendance at our Annual Conference this past April we are considering moving the event back to February, so as not to compete with the end of the college semester, good weather and other spring activities. Send me your thoughts on this proposed change.

Finally our Secretary and Treasurer have announced their intention to resign their positions midterm at the end of the 2012 calendar year. Please volunteer or nominate folks from our membership to fill these vital vacancies for 2013.

Christopher Judge