"A melancholy scene of abandonment, desolation, and ruin:"The Archaeological Record of the Upper Ashley River Region of South Carolina

Summary

The Upper Ashley River region of South Carolina is characterized by cypress swamps that form a relatively straight, narrow river that flows unimpeded to Charleston.  This landscape provided the ideal location for early estates of the planter elite in the eighteenth century. These Carolinians developed the rice and indigo plantation culture of the Lowcountry. The region became the crossroads of many historical events including the development of rice cultivation, Native American trade and uprisings, slave rebellions, and the civil unrest related to the American Revolution. By the 1840s, however, these once grand estates were in decline, described by one observer as a scene of melancholy abandonment. In this paper we will explore this history through archaeological research,highlighting a watershed that includes a Historic District, a National Scenic and Historic Byway, a State Scenic River, a National Historic Landmark, a National Trust property, and dozens of sites, ruins, buildings, and cemeteries.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• A Regional Retrospective Analysis of the Antebellum Atlantic Seaboard   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 193