Archaeological Investigations of a Mission Period Shell Midden 9MC23, Sapelo Island, Georgia

Summary

The arrival of Spanish missionaries on the Georgia and Florida coasts in the mid-16th century began what is known as the Mission period (1568-1684), a time of sustained interaction between the Spanish and many coastal Indian polities. At the time of Spanish contact, much of the central and northern Georgia coast was occupied by Muskogean-speaking people known as the Guale (Worth 2004a).

Sapelo Island, one of the Georgia "barrier" islands, is the site of at least one Spanish mission, the Mission San Joseph de Sapala (Worth 2007:194). Sapelo is situated near the mouth of the Altamaha River in Mcintosh County (Figure 1). It is the fourth largest of the Georgia barrier islands, positioned between St. Catherines Island to the north and St. Simons Island to the south. Sapelo lies approximately four miles east of the Georgia mainland, separated from the rest of the state by a wide sound containing numerous hammocks and expansive marshes.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Shell Ring   •
• Sapelo Island

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Rachel Black

File Information