In Search of Mission San Joseph de Sapala: Mission Period Archaeological Research on Sapelo Island, Georgia 2003-2007

In 2003, University of Kentucky archaeologists initiated field investigations just north of the famous Sapelo Shell Ring Complex (Site 9Mc23). The purpose of the excavations was to investigate the site’s Late Archaic component; however, test units and shovel probes placed north of Shell Ring II yielded several items of European origin, including several majolica and olive jar fragments and part of a small brass bell. Associated with these European artifacts were hundreds of Native American ceramic sherds representing several temporal periods ranging from the Late Archaic (ca. 4200 B.P.) to the 17th Century. Initial classification of the Native American pottery by Victor Thompson (Jefferies and Thompson 2005) indicated that many represented fragments of Mission period Guale Indian vessels. This suggested that this part of the site represented the long sought after Guale town of Sapala and its associated 17th century Spanish mission, San Joseph de Sapala (Worth 2007). Subsequent field investigations conducted from 2004 to 2007 yielded additional Guale and European artifacts and located several Mission period pit features and postmolds. The following report discusses the nature of 17th century Native American-Spanish
interactions on the Georgia coast, the results of previous Mission period archaeological research
in the Sapelo Island area, and the results of our ongoing Mission period archaeological
investigations at the Sapelo Shell Ring Complex.

2003年，肯塔基大学（University of Kentucky）考古学家于知名的萨佩洛贝壳环遗址（Sapelo Shell Ring Complex，遗址编号9Mc23）北侧启动实地勘查工作。本次发掘的预设目标为探究该遗址的晚阿尔奇克文化期（Late Archaic）遗存；然而在贝壳环II号北侧布设的探方（test units）与铲探（shovel probes）作业中，出土了多件欧洲来源文物，包括数件马略卡陶器（majolica）残片、橄榄罐残件，以及一枚小型铜铃的残存部分。与这批欧洲文物伴生的，还有数百件美洲原住民陶瓷碎片，其年代跨度涵盖晚阿尔奇克文化期（约距今4200年，即4200 B.P.）至17世纪。维克多·汤普森（Victor Thompson）曾在相关研究（Jefferies and Thompson, 2005）中对这批美洲原住民陶器进行初步分类，结果显示其中多件属于传教团时期（Mission period）的瓜莱印第安人（Guale Indian）器皿残片。这一发现表明，该遗址的这片区域正是学界长期探寻的萨帕拉瓜莱人城镇，以及与之配套的17世纪西班牙传教团圣何塞·德·萨帕拉（San Joseph de Sapala, Worth, 2007）。2004年至2007年间开展的后续实地勘查，又出土了更多瓜莱人与欧洲文物，并发现了多处传教团时期的坑穴遗迹与柱洞遗迹（postmolds）。本报告将探讨佐治亚海岸地区17世纪美洲原住民与西班牙人的互动关系、此前在萨佩洛岛区域开展的传教团时期考古研究成果，以及我们在萨佩洛贝壳环遗址持续推进的传教团时期考古调查结果。