Contextualizing Historical Avocational Reports: A Comprehensive Database of South Carolina Hobby Licensee Reports Over Five Decades

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Since its establishment in the 1970s, the South Carolina Hobby License program has permitted avocational small-scale recovery of archaeological and paleontological material from state waters. Individuals may apply for a license through the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA). Licensees must submit quarterly reports documenting their findings and may keep the materials they recover after SCIAA and the State Museum review their reports. Previously, licensees’ reports have directed the Institute to significant archaeological sites and shipwrecks, contributing to public understanding of South Carolina’s rich maritime heritage. Over the past year, archaeologists with SCIAA and Northwestern University have begun to create a comprehensive GIS database of licensee artifact reports from the 1970s to the present, with the goal of contextualizing findings and directing future archaeological studies. This presentation will detail the creation of this database and its potential application for South Carolina’s underwater archaeology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SHA 2022 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology