The Grand Strand Frontier: Native American Occupation at the Fairway Site (38HR258), Horry County, South Carolina

Site 38HR258 is a prehistoric site located on the east side of a small interior wetland on Little River Neck. A preliminary assessment of site components indicated that (Ceramic) Late Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian/Proto historic components were present. The most intensive component at 38HR258 is the Middle Woodland occupation, and research questions focused primarily on this component. Field investigations employed a series of methods meant to successively refine areas of particular interest and were oriented to retrieve data specific to the research questions discussed above. Specific tasks included site mapping, the excavation of a grid of 50 by 50 cm ( 19.7 by 19.7 in) units across the site core area, the excavation of a series of 2 by 2 m units, machine scraping of selected areas, and feature excavations. The Fairway site provides a good illustration of life on Little River Neck during prehistory. Habitation at the site began in the Middle Archaic subperiod, when small groups were still mobile. The Late Archaic evidence from the site is relatively scarce, suggesting more ephemeral settlement of the area during this time. The Woodland period saw a dramatic increase in the intensity of occupation at the site. Settlement at the Tidewater site during this time may even have been permanent. The Woodland peoples practiced an adaptive strategy, utilizing all environmental zones in the vicinity. This flexibility would have allowed for long term settlement without population pressure severely limiting available resources. During their stay at the Fairway site, the Woodland people built structures (as evidenced by numerous postmolds), established site patterns (definable activity and disposal), and went about their daily life. During the Mississippian period, populations at the Fairway site were reduced as they increased at more inland sites. Mississippian cultures may have moved further inland in search of adequate agricultural land. Overall, the Little River Neck provided a rich and varied environment that was amenable to human habitation for over 5,000 years, and continues to be today.遗址38HR258是一处史前遗址，坐落于小李河岬（Little River Neck）一处小型内陆湿地的东侧。对遗址遗存的初步评估显示，该遗址包含（陶器）晚古风期、伍德兰期以及密西西比/原历史时期的文化遗存。38HR258遗址中遗存最为丰富的是伍德兰中期的居住遗存，本次研究的核心问题也主要围绕该遗存展开。 本次野外调查采用了一系列方法，旨在逐步缩小重点关注区域，并针对性获取前述研究问题所需的相关数据。具体工作内容包括遗址测绘、在遗址核心区域布设50×50厘米（即19.7×19.7英寸）探方并进行发掘、开挖一系列2×2米探方、对选定区域进行机械刮面，以及遗迹发掘。 费尔韦遗址（Fairway site）可很好地展现小李河岬地区的史前生活风貌。该遗址的居住活动始于古风中期亚阶段，当时小型人群仍处于迁徙状态。该遗址出土的晚古风期遗存相对稀少，表明当时该区域的定居活动较为短暂。伍德兰时期，该遗址的居住活动强度显著提升。此时期潮汐带遗址的定居活动甚至可能已具备永久性。伍德兰先民采用了适应性生存策略，利用了周边所有的环境区域。这种灵活性使得先民可以长期定居于此，而无需因人口压力大幅削减可获取的资源。在费尔韦遗址定居期间，伍德兰先民搭建了建筑（大量柱洞遗迹可资证明），形成了可辨识的活动与废弃物处理的遗址格局，并开展日常生产生活。密西西比时期，费尔韦遗址的人口有所减少，而更多内陆遗址的人口则出现增长。密西西比文化群体可能向更内陆的区域迁徙，以寻找充足的农业用地。总体而言，小李河岬地区拥有丰富多样的自然环境，适宜人类居住的历史已超过5000年，且至今依然如此。