Welcome to the main website of the Broad River Archaeological Field School. Currently, our ongoing work is focused on site 38FA608 in Fairfield County, South Carolina. Work at the site has demonstrated the area was used for occupation by prehistoric peoples for at least 5,500 years. Unplowed deposits from the Middle Archaic through Early Woodland periods (ca. 6000-3000 BC) are preserved within a 3.3 meter-deep sandy deposit along the Broad River. Later components near the surface may also be preserved in some areas. For more information on the background of investigations at the site, please see Andy White's blog posts listed on this page.
Field school work during 2020 will be focused on using careful hand excavation to: (1) continue work in the large block excavation; (2) continue to stabilize the deposits exposed in the wall; (3) investigate the deepest known component at the site; and (4) test portions of the site outside of the current excavation area.
Excavations at the site during 2020 are being conducted as part of an archaeological field school (ANTH 322) at the University of South Carolina. This field school will give students hands-on experience in basic excavation methods and techniques, including:
Each week, several students will write about their experiences and activities. Student-produced content will be added throughout the 2020 spring semester on this page. Student blog posts from our 2017 and 2018 work can be found on this page and this page.
You can track updates to this page by following me on Twitter: @Andrew_A_White. New videos will be posted to my YouTube channel and this page.
Descriptions of materials recovered from our work at 38FA608 are being added to this section of the website.
Funds to support this year's work were provided by generous donations from private individuals. The 2020 field school is also being supported by assistance from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Heritage Trust program.
Field school work during 2020 will be focused on using careful hand excavation to: (1) continue work in the large block excavation; (2) continue to stabilize the deposits exposed in the wall; (3) investigate the deepest known component at the site; and (4) test portions of the site outside of the current excavation area.
Excavations at the site during 2020 are being conducted as part of an archaeological field school (ANTH 322) at the University of South Carolina. This field school will give students hands-on experience in basic excavation methods and techniques, including:
- grid systems and mapping;
- controlled hand excavation;
- documentation of cultural features;
- description of sediments;
- record keeping and photography;
- strategy, logistics, and teamwork.
Each week, several students will write about their experiences and activities. Student-produced content will be added throughout the 2020 spring semester on this page. Student blog posts from our 2017 and 2018 work can be found on this page and this page.
You can track updates to this page by following me on Twitter: @Andrew_A_White. New videos will be posted to my YouTube channel and this page.
Descriptions of materials recovered from our work at 38FA608 are being added to this section of the website.
Funds to support this year's work were provided by generous donations from private individuals. The 2020 field school is also being supported by assistance from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Heritage Trust program.
