Mattassee Lake Sites: Archeological Investigations Along the Lower Santee River in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina

摘要

Excavations and analysis of archeological materials from along a kilometer of the primary terrace of the lower Santee River are summarized. The terrace margin, which overlooks Mattassee Lake, a tributary channel within the river swamp, was initially tested using systematically dispersed half meter units. Three block units and a series of test pits were subsequently opened and document use of the area from the Early American through the historic era. An extensive assemblage was recovered, including over 88,000 pieces of debitage and stone tools, 27,354 sherds, almost a metric ton on cracked rock, and lesser quantities of fired clay, charcoal, steatite, bone fragments, baked clay ball fragments, historic glass, ceramics, beads, and other artifacts. Artifact stratification occurred in several areas. Eighty-four features were encountered and excavated, the vast majority being remains of probable aboriginal fire hearths. Project research focused on assemblage documentation and interpretation. The stratigraphic and spatial distributions of the artifacts, coupled with taxonomic analyses and the results of 15 radiocarbon assays, are used to advance a sequence for local projectile points and ceramics, providing the basis for subsequent synchronic and dischrnoic analyses of the assemblage.