The Role of Systematic Metal Detection in Phase III Data Recovery: Investigation of a Nineteenth Century Slave and Freedmen Occupation at Colonel’s Island Plantation

Author(s): Stacey Whitacre; James Page; Carolyn Rock

Year: 2018

Summary

In 2015, Brockington conducted Phase III Data Recovery at a nineteenth century slave and freedmen settlement within the larger Colonel’s Island Plantation in Glynn County, Georgia. Prior to block excavations, we utilized heavy machinery to clear intersecting lanes along cardinal directions on a 10-meter grid across the site. We conducted systematic metal detection along these lanes and recorded all finds and anomalies, such as nail clouds, with a sub-meter accuracy Trimble and plotted our finds using ArcGIS mapping systems. Nail clouds are defined as larger areas where detectorists continuously detected small ferrous signals. This data was used to inform the placement of block excavations and mechanical scraping. Block excavations confirmed the configuration of several structures, including two slave rows and several postbellum buildings, identified during our nail cloud analysis. We use this case study to discuss the role and research potential of systematic metal detection for future data recovery investigations.

Cite this Record

The Role of Systematic Metal Detection in Phase III Data Recovery: Investigation of a Nineteenth Century Slave and Freedmen Occupation at Colonel’s Island Plantation. Stacey Whitacre, James Page, Carolyn Rock. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441641)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 336