South Carolina – Prehistoric Times

South Carolina SC History SC Prehistoric Periods

The Geological Eras in South Carolina

The Paleozoic Era in South Carolina

• Geologic Map of South Carolina - The only known Paleozoic rocks in South Carolina are found in an area where bedrock is at the surface of the earth near Batesburg.
  

The Mesozoic Era in South Carolina

• Earliest Geology and Fossils - Did you know that South Carolina was once connected to Europe and Africa? The continents pulled away from each other long ago – somewhere between 65 million and 250 million years ago. Animal fossils have been found in South Carolina from this era, long before evidence of people. Although dinosaurs existed in other eastern-seaboard states, evidence of dinosaurs in South Carolina is scarce. However, we do have fossils from many other land and sea animals of the Mesozoic Era – including horses, elephants, fish, sharks, and birds. (Robin's rewrite is really bad; needs work.)
  

The Cenozoic Era in South Carolina

Paleoindian, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian Periods

• Timeline of Native Americans in South Carolina - This timeline traces SC Indian tribes back to 20,000 BC.
  
  
• Early Indian Cultures - PDF - This document traces the evolution of early Native Americans in South Carolina spanning the eras of the Paleo Indians, Archaic Indians, Woodland Indians, and Mississippian Indians. (Interlink.)
  
  
• Beneath These Waters - Detailed report based on research conducted along the Savannah River including areas in Abbeville and Anderson counties. Illustrates how life would have been for the people living in these communities from the first inhabitants that arrived at the end of the Ice Age to modern times.
  
  
• Topper Site - The Topper Site is a rock quarry located along the Savannah River in Allendale County. Prehistoric Clovis people from the Paleo era gathered here to make weapons. The chert (flint rock) at this location was ideal for making spearheads for hunting since the rock split into thin, sharp pieces when hit with a harder object (example? A harder rock and perhaps antlers). This website includes photos and informative videos.
  –  Allendale Paleoamerican Expedition - Excavation of the Topper Site has been ongoing since the 1980s. Each summer, volunteers can sign-up to help. (Unsure about 1980s date with name "Topper"? Per PBS, archaeologists started digging in the 1980s when Mr. Topper, lead them to the site)
  
  
• Prehistoric Communities of the Congaree River Floodplain - This web page chronicles the development of South Carolina's first humans by tracing the characteristics of each periods' culture. (This may be the best resource. Need to look at closer.)
  
  
• Ancient Gardening in South Carolina - Crops have been cultivated for thousands of years. Some of these native plants are now extinct but many of the foods we still eat today can be traced back to early Native Americans.
  
  
• The State Museum's Prehistoric Era Collection - Visit the museum to see artifacts and dioramas of all four eras of South Carolina's prehistoric history.
  Should eras be periods and prehistoric be Cenozoic? Mesozoic and Cenozoic are geologic terms. Prehistory is a general term...ie: before written records
  Where there only four periods in the Cenozoic era? No, paleoindian, archaic, woodland, mississippian are archeological terms that fall into the geological Cenozoic Era
  Geological Eras:
  Paleozoic Era = 540 million years ago to 250 mya
  Mesozoic Era = 250 mya to 65 MYA with end of dinosaurs
  Cenozoic Era = 65 mya to today
  
  Also, this page has virtually no info. Should we move to bottom of list since it is not very valuable? The State Museum uses 14,000 years ago to 1565 to define era. Yep, museum is defining prehistory but their dates aren't really accurate 'cuz history of the earth started before 14,000 years ago yes move down)
  
  
• Important Woodland Sites in the Southeast - Did you know there were several villages in South Carolina during prehistoric times? This map shows locations where evidence of Woodland Indian communities has been found. (Woodland specific.)
  
  
• People and Plants in Prehistoric South Carolina - The Woodland Indians were farmers who grew a variety of crops. Learn about the different kinds of seeds that have been found at a prehistoric site in Greenville County. (Woodland specific. Really cool info about native crops for NA section.)
  
  
• Indian Mounds Reveal Part of State's Prehistoric Past - Both Woodland and Mississippian Indians built mounds for ceremonial and burial purposes. Several of these mounds are still standing today.
  –  Adamson Mounds, Kershaw County - PDF | Photos
  –  Blair Mound, Fairfield County - PDF | Photo
  –  Lawton Mounds, Allendale County - PDF | Photos
  –  McCollum Mound, Chester County - PDF | Photo
  –  Santee Indian Mounds, Clarendon County - PDF | Photo
  
  
• Coastal Indians also built mounds but they used shells. These mounds reached up to 10 feet high and some were 225 feet across.
  –  Sewee Shell Ring, Awendaw - includes photo
  –  Would our oyster mound SCPP pages count? Need to make sure those pages are in Indian section too.
  

The Pre-colonial Period in South Carolina

• South Carolina's Native Americans - In 1520, Spanish explorer Lucas Vásquez Ayllón visited South Carolina and encountered Indians near Pawleys Island. By that time, Native-American tribes had called South Carolina home for hundreds of generations. This is the most complete guide to the history and early culture of SC Native Americans that we know of anywhere. Hundreds accurate? About 12,500 years so I believe 25 years is the commonly used number of years for a generation so that would be 500 generations, so 'hundreds' would be accurate
  
  Need to add links to Charlesfort, etc?
  
  these are from your sw news article, ok to use?
  
• Charlesfort - In 1562, decades before Roanoke or Jamestown, a group of French Huguenots led by Jean Ribault landed on the South Carolina coast. By all accounts, Ribault (pronounced REE • BOW) was impressed with the land he saw. He established an outpost named Charlesfort, and left 26 or 27 men there while he sailed back to France, with the promise of returning with more people and supplies. However, his efforts were stymied once reaching France, and he wasn't able to return immediately. Meanwhile, the men Ribault left behind were encountering difficulties of their own. After depleting food supplies and concluding Ribault was not returning, they mutinied against their commander. They built their own boat and began an arduous trip back to France.
  
  
• Santa Elena - In 1566, the Spanish had established a claim to land slightly south of Charlesfort. Upon hearing of the French plans, they set out to destroy the rival's potential settlement. They burned the remains of Charlesfort, and established a fort of their own – Fort San Felipe. Here they began the new town of Santa Elena, which became the first capital of Spanish Florida. At one point, almost 200 settlers lived there, along with soldiers.