A Study of Mississippian Shell Site Occupation: Analyzing Subsurface Anomalies Detected through Ground-Penetrating Radar and Their Chronological Associations at Green’s Shell Enclosure in Hilton Head, South Carolina

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The archaeological study of coastal shell sites in the southeastern United States offers critical insights into the subsistence strategies, cultural practices, and architectural innovations of Indigenous communities before European contact. Among these sites is Green’s Shell Enclosure, located on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, a Mississippian shell structure whose origins, functionality, and temporal relationships are yet to be fully understood. This research investigates the nature and chronology of subsurface anomalies recently identified within the interior of the enclosure through a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey at Green’s Shell Enclosure in 2024. The project addresses key questions regarding the contemporaneity of these anomalies with the exterior shell midden, the potential evidence of additional site occupation within the enclosure, and the broader relationship of this site to coastal Mississippian shell site traditions. By incorporating excavation, comparative analysis, and engagement with Indigenous descendant communities, this research aims to deepen our understanding of Green’s Shell Enclosure and its significance within the coastal Mississippian cultural landscape. The findings will contribute to the ongoing discourse on shell ring functionality, temporal occupation, and the complex social and environmental dynamics of early Indigenous societies in the southeastern coastal region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53500