After Hurricane Matthew, a satellite survey of the South Carolina coast picked up something new, and very old, on a remote beach [just north of Beaufort], according to South Carolina Wildlife Magazine.
Archaeologists perked up at the discovery of ancient Native American shell rings off Edisto Island, but they had a problem: “the Pockoy Island shell rings were in imminent danger of being swallowed by the Atlantic Ocean,” as reported in The State.
There are two shell rings on the island, called Pockoy 1 and Pockoy 2, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. “Pockoy 1 will be gone by 2024. Rapid archaeological investigation of this site is critical as our shared cultural heritage is at risk of being lost,” DNR said in a recent press release.
“Pockoy 1 is the oldest known shell ring in South Carolina – dating to the Late Archaic period, approximately 4,300 years ago. That’s the same time period as the construction of the first Egyptian pyramids,” DNR said.
Archeology teams are working quickly to document and preserve what they can from the shell rings, with teams from Mississippi State University and the National Parks Service helping DNR with study and excavations this summer.
DNR is looking for volunteers to come help sift through the site with the archeology team.
“The public is invited to join the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Archaeology team as they conduct excavations at Pockoy Island, located on Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve. Archaeological excavation will take place from Monday, May 6, 2019 through Friday, May 24, 2019,” DNR said in the invitation.
DNR will also give tours of the shell ring site to the public in May.
Archeologists say there are big questions they hope to answer in the short time they have left before the ocean destroys the site, according to DNR: “Why were the Pockoy Island Shell Rings constructed? Are they connected to a larger network of shell ring communities across the Southeastern United States? Were they created for a ceremonial purpose, or the result of subsistence activities?”
See the full article and learn more about the ancient shell rings here.
