Archaeological shovel test data for Little Sapelo Island, Mary Hammock, Patterson Island, and Pumpkin Hammock; Spring 2007, Summer 2007 and 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine the human occupational history of Little Sapelo Island, Mary Hammock, Patterson Island, and Pumpkin Hammock in McIntosh County, GA. During the Spring of 2007 and Summers of 2007 and 2008, a systematic archaeological shovel test survey was performed at a closely-spaced interval of 20 meters. The shovel test grid was laid out using a Trimble GPS, in accordance with the Universal Trans Mercator coordinate system Zone 17, and the North American Datum of 1927 (with a typical accuracy between 1 and 6 m). Teams of two people would go to these locations, dig holes (typically 50 cm in diameter and 1 m deep), and put the soil through wire hardware cloth with a mesh size of 0.6 cm (i.e., 0.25 inch). All cultural material (except shell) were collected and put in labeled plastic bags. Only some shell samples were kept for future analysis. Ceramics were classified to determine surface treatment/ decoration, temper, and rim form, with the ultimate goal of determining their period of use. All of the data related to these shovel tests were entered into a spreadsheet, and that spreadsheet was turned into an ArcGIS point shapefile for analysis. These data are available for professional archaeologists only. Please contact the investigator by E-mail if you would like a copy of these data.