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67:
92:
328:, the oldest ceramics in North America. Thoms Creek ceramics closely resemble Stallings ceramics, but have more sand and less fiber as temper than Stallings ceramics. Thoms Creek ceramics were largely contemporary with Stallings ceramics, although no Thoms Creek ceramics have been found that are as early as the earliest Stallings. Thoms Creek ceramics overlapped Stallings ceramics in northern Georgia and southern South Carolina, but were the dominant tradition north of the
271:
they were deliberately built as monuments. The start of mound building in the lower
Mississippi River valley and in Florida by about 6000 years ago is cited as increasing the plausibility that the shell-rings were also monumental architecture. Excavations of the Fig Island rings revealed little evidence of habitation on the rings, and circumstantial evidence of rapid deposition of large quantities of shells in deliberate creation of the rings.
255:
half-circle connecting to the shell path from Fig Island 2. Pottery found in the two rings and radiocarbon dates, as well as the connecting path, indicate that Fig Island 2 and 3 were in use during the same period. Fig Island 3 is 49 meters in diameter, and is slightly less than 2 meters tall. Archaeologists have calculated that the ring contains 1,202 cubic meters of shell. The ring has been dated to between 4200 and 3800 years ago.
791:
251:
a small gap in the ring opposite from the ramp leading to Fig Island 3. The ring is 82 meters in diameter and is between 10 and 25 meters wide at the base. The height varies between two meters and one meter above the ground. Archaeologists have calculated that the ring contains 2,178 cubic meters of shell. Fig Island 2 has been dated to between 4400 and 3600 years ago.
225:. The sea level on the South Carolina coast was as much as 1.2 meters lower when the Fig Island shell rings were built and occupied than it is now. The rise in sea level since then has led to the marsh expanding over what was probably dry land that connected Fig Island to Edisto Island in the past. The Fig Island rings cover an area of 300 by 275 meters.
99:
74:
250:
Fig Island 2 is circular or hexangular, more symmetrical than most shell rings, and in "an excellent state of preservation." There is a ramp on the north side of the ring that connects to a path of shell leading to the Fig Island 3 ring. This shell path is now below the surface of the marsh. There is
233:
Fig Island 1 is a large and complex shell ring structure, perhaps the largest and most complex in North
America. The main structure is a large ring that reaches up to six meters high on the main ring, with steep sides. The base of the main ring is about 40 meters wide. There are at least five smaller
274:
Although the large size of shell middens gives the impression that the people associated with them lived primarily on shellfish, careful excavation of middens has revealed large quantities of fish bones, indicating that the people obtained more of their protein and calories from small fish than from
270:
Groups living along the coast had become mostly sedentary by the Late
Archaic period, living in permanent villages while making occasional foraging trips. Archaeologists have debated whether the shell rings resulted from the simple accumulation of middens in conjunction with circular villages, or if
238:
gun emplacement dug into the shell. As is typical of shell rings, there was little or no evidence of shells or occupational debris in the "plazas" enclosed by the main and attached rings. The complex is 157 meters wide on its longest axis. Based on mapping and probing to determine the depth of shell
254:
The smallest shell-ring on Fig Island is Fig Island 3. It is C-shaped, approximately half of a circle. There is no evidence that Fig Island 3 was ever more than a half circle. (Half-circle rings have been found at several sites in South
Carolina and Georgia.) There is a ramp from the center of the
234:
rings attached to the main ring. One of the attached rings is entirely within another ring. An adjacent shell mound is attached to the main ring by a shell causeway or ramp. There is an unusual feature at the high point of the main ring, which local residents suggested was a
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in 1970, when Fig Island 1 and some of the site's other features had not yet been discovered. Further investigation beginning in 2002 identified Fig Island 1 and the mound and causeway features, leading to the site's designation as a
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The youngest radiocarbon dates at Fig Island are for one of the small rings attached to the main ring of Fig Island 1. Those dates are significantly later than the dates for Fig Island 2 and Fig Island 3. There were more
714:
734:
707:
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wholly or partially surrounding a clear central area or plaza. The site includes one of the largest and most complex shell rings in North
America, and one of the best preserved circular shell rings.
247:
found in this attached ring than elsewhere on Fig Island. This particular attached ring may be from an occupation that was later and of a different nature than that for the rest of Fig Island.
275:
shellfish. There is no evidence that the shell-ring dwellers practiced horticulture, but gathered plants were exploited. Nuts, fruits and seeds have been excavated from shell-ring sites.
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267:, about 3000 to 5000 years ago on the South Carolina coast and coastal plain. The earliest evidence for pottery along the South Carolina coast is from about 4200 years ago.
239:
deposits, archaeologists have estimated that the ring complex contains 22,114 cubic meters of shell. Fig Island 1 has been dated to between 4000 and 3500 years ago.
600:
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66:
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for the earliest, to about 3000 years ago for the latest. The Fig Island shell rings have been dated between 4400 years ago and 3600 years ago.
206:
More than 30 shell-ring sites are known along the
Atlantic coast from South Carolina to Florida. Almost all of the sites date from 4500 to 5000
730:
357:
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39:
91:
677:
183:
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607:
126:
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Ceramics found in the mounds are primarily Thoms Creek, with some
Stallings. Both ceramic traditions fall in the Late
132:
Historic
Resources of the Late Archaic-Early Woodland Period Shell Rings of South Carolina, ca. 1,000-2,200 years B.C
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601:"The Grand Shell Ring: a Study of Site Seasonality, Hard Clam Exploitation, and Resource Scheduling"
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Archaeological sites on the
National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina
669:
Early
Pottery: Technology, Function, Style, and Interaction in the Lower Southeast
647:
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National Register of Historic Places in Charleston County, South Carolina
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606:. Tallahassee, Florida: Florida State University. Archived from
703:
418:
National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory
320:
Stallings (or Stallings Island) ceramics were primarily fiber-
332:
and in North Carolina. (Saunders:19; Saunders and Hays:7-8)
666:
Saunders, Rebecca and Christopher Tinsley Hays (2004).
324:, and are documented from about 4450 radiocarbon years
696:, at South Carolina Department of Archives and History
1108:
History of the National Register of Historic Places
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764:
History of the National Register of Historic Places
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694:Fig Island, Charleston County (Address Restricted)
672:. The University of Alabama Press. pp. 7–8.
1186:Geography of Charleston County, South Carolina
1176:National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina
715:
8:
628:"Archaic Shell Rings of the Southeast U. S."
572:"Archaic Shell Rings of the Southeast U.S."
722:
708:
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440:
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384:National Historic Landmark summary listing
731:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
40:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
16:Archaeological site in South Carolina, US
374:
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386:. National Park Service. Archived from
344:
296:
213:The Fig Island site is surrounded by a
353:"National Register Information System"
278:Fig Island 2 and 3 were listed on the
23:
409:Hemmings, E. Thomas (July 23, 1970).
307:in Florida, dates to 900-1250 in the
7:
358:National Register of Historic Places
280:National Register of Historic Places
182:, is an archaeological site on the
303:One shell ring, the Grand site on
98:
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14:
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489:Saunders:51, 75, 79, 81, 114-15
49:U.S. National Historic Landmark
217:on a peninsula extending from
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1:
648:"The Fig Island Ring Complex"
106:Show map of the United States
21:United States historic place
1090:National Historic Landmarks
599:Parsons, Alexandra (2008).
1212:
285:National Historic Landmark
81:Show map of South Carolina
1098:
780:
194:. Shell rings are curved
138:NRHP reference
120:Rockville, South Carolina
59:
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30:
26:
552:Saunders:24, 85, 91, 101
653:. National Park Service
633:. National Park Service
577:. National Park Service
516:Saunders:51, 81, 88, 89
1103:Keeper of the Register
754:Keeper of the Register
190:, consisting of three
1123:Contributing property
769:National Park Service
749:Contributing property
422:National Park Service
363:National Park Service
309:Mississippian period
1152:32.5703°N 80.2153°W
1148: /
646:Saunders, Rebecca.
534:Saunders:51, 81, 89
365:. January 23, 2007.
164:Designated NHL
462:Saunders:47-48, 51
223:North Edisto River
1157:32.5703; -80.2153
1131:
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1118:Historic district
759:Historic district
613:on April 14, 2012
471:Saunders:1, 4, 95
305:Big Talbot Island
171:
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151:Significant dates
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326:Before Present
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311:. (Parsons:ix)
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188:South Carolina
184:Atlantic Coast
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219:Edisto Island
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196:shell middens
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156:Added to NRHP
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1028:Williamsburg
868:Chesterfield
668:
657:November 13,
655:. Retrieved
637:November 13,
635:. Retrieved
617:November 20,
615:. Retrieved
608:the original
579:. Retrieved
566:
557:
548:
539:
530:
525:Russo:81, 82
521:
512:
507:Russo:80, 81
503:
494:
485:
480:Russo:78, 79
476:
467:
458:
449:
425:. Retrieved
417:
411:"Fig Island"
404:
392:. Retrieved
388:the original
383:
380:"Fig Island"
356:
347:
330:Santee River
316:
299:
277:
273:
269:
262:
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249:
241:
232:
212:
205:
177:
173:
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116:Nearest city
18:
1196:Shell rings
1155: /
1078:Other lists
1013:Spartanburg
581:November 5,
561:Saunders:26
229:Shell rings
202:Environment
192:shell rings
1170:Categories
1143:80°12′55″W
1140:32°34′13″N
1059:Greenville
1049:Charleston
993:Orangeburg
918:Greenville
913:Georgetown
893:Dorchester
883:Darlington
853:Charleston
593:References
259:Occupation
221:along the
215:salt marsh
174:Fig Island
32:Fig Island
1069:Rock Hill
978:McCormick
963:Lexington
948:Lancaster
923:Greenwood
903:Fairfield
898:Edgefield
873:Clarendon
818:Allendale
808:Abbeville
801:by county
394:March 17,
340:Citations
287:in 2007.
245:artifacts
236:Civil War
208:years ago
1054:Columbia
1003:Richland
983:Newberry
973:Marlboro
908:Florence
878:Colleton
858:Cherokee
843:Berkeley
838:Beaufort
833:Barnwell
823:Anderson
453:Russo:81
444:Russo:79
322:tempered
145:70000585
1085:Bridges
998:Pickens
953:Laurens
943:Kershaw
928:Hampton
863:Chester
848:Calhoun
828:Bamberg
427:May 26,
1018:Sumter
1008:Saluda
988:Oconee
968:Marion
938:Jasper
888:Dillon
742:Topics
676:
179:38CH42
1023:Union
933:Horry
813:Aiken
799:Lists
651:(PDF)
631:(PDF)
611:(PDF)
604:(PDF)
575:(PDF)
414:(PDF)
291:Notes
1033:York
674:ISBN
659:2011
639:2011
619:2011
583:2015
429:2012
396:2008
958:Lee
733:in
186:of
140:No.
127:MPS
1172::
437:^
420:.
416:.
382:.
371:^
361:.
355:.
723:e
716:t
709:v
682:.
661:.
641:.
621:.
585:.
431:.
398:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
