Archaeological Data Recovery at Long Point Plantation (38CH321) Mark Clark Expressway (I-526), Charleston County, South Carolina

This report documents limited data recovery activities undertaken at Long Point Plantation (38CH32l), in Charleston County, South Carolina by Brockington and Associates, Inc., for the South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation. The site contains the remains of an eighteenth and nineteenth century plantation that evolved through several phases of operation related to contemporary economic conditions. The site was originally defined during the initial cultural resources survey of the proposed Mark Clark Expressway (I-526); subsequent testing demonstrated the presence of intact cultural deposits and resulted in the listing of the site on the National Register of Historic Places. The present investigations were designed to recover a portion of the intact deposits that were present at the site, and to assess damage to the site through twentieth century agricultural activities and construction activities associated with the building of the Mark Clark Expressway (I-526). Initially, the site was disked and surface collected in 5 foot by 5 foot units. Also, small (1.5 foot x 1.5 foot) exploratory units were excavated at 10 or 20 foot intervals over the plowed area. The distributions of the remains recovered from the surface collection and the exploratory excavations then were plotted to determine where intact deposits were likely to be present. Three areas were selected for examination through the controlled excavation of larger 5 foot by 5 foot units. Excavations in Area A, located in the north central portion of the site, encountered numerous postholes/postmolds and a portion of a wall trench. In addition, a thin lens of unplowed buried A horizon or historic midden was present throughout Area A. Remains recovered from the midden/A horizon suggested an eighteenth century occupation possibly associated with a former kitchen area. Evidence of damage that resulted from spoil deposition on the site also was encountered in Area A. Excavations in Area B, located in the central portion of the site, encountered the remains of brick piers and a chimney base, as well as numerous postholes/postmolds. The recovered remains and the configuration of the brick features and soil stains suggest that this area probably represents the former main house of Long Point Plantation, with a nineteenth century occupation most in evidence. Evidence of damage that resulted from bridge construction activities also was encountered in Area B. Excavations in Area C, located in the east central portion of the site, revealed that spoil deposition during bridge construction activities resulted in the complete mixing of the former plow zone at site and the spoil materials that were placed on the site. No intact cultural deposits were encountered in Area C.本报告记录了布罗金顿联合公司（Brockington and Associates, Inc.）受南卡罗来纳州公路与公共运输部委托，在南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿县长点种植园（Long Point Plantation, 38CH32l）开展的有限数据恢复工作。该遗址为18至19世纪种植园遗存，其运营历经多个阶段，与当时的经济环境动态适配。遗址最初在拟建马克·克拉克高速公路（Mark Clark Expressway, I-526）的首次文化资源调查（cultural resources survey）中被确认；后续勘探证实遗址存在未受扰动的文化堆积（intact cultural deposits），并因此被列入《国家史迹名录》（National Register of Historic Places）。本次调查旨在回收遗址内部分未受扰动的文化堆积，并评估20世纪农业活动以及马克·克拉克高速公路（I-526）建设相关工程活动对遗址造成的破坏。 初始工作阶段，研究人员以5英尺×5英尺为单元开展圆盘耙扫与地表采集。同时，在耕地区域以10或20英尺为间隔，开挖1.5英尺×1.5英尺的小型勘探单元。通过绘制地表采集与勘探发掘所得遗存的分布图谱，研究人员确定了未受扰动堆积的潜在分布区域，最终选定三处区域，采用5英尺×5英尺的受控开挖单元开展针对性发掘。 A区位于遗址北中部，发掘过程中发现大量柱洞与柱模（postholes/postmolds），以及一段墙槽遗存。此外，A区全域覆盖一层未遭犁耕扰动的埋藏A层（A horizon）或历史厨余堆积（historic midden）。从该堆积与埋藏A层中出土的遗存显示，此处可能为18世纪的一处厨房遗址。同时，A区还发现了因弃土堆积（spoil deposition）造成的破坏痕迹。 B区位于遗址中部，发掘出土了砖墩与烟囱基座遗存，同时伴随大量柱洞与柱模。出土遗存、砖结构特征与土壤痕迹的分布格局表明，该区域大概率为长点种植园的原主宅遗址，其中以19世纪的活动遗存最为典型。此外，B区还发现了桥梁建设活动造成的破坏痕迹。 C区位于遗址东中部，发掘结果显示，桥梁建设过程中的弃土堆积完全混合了遗址原有的耕作层（plow zone）与外来弃土，C区内未发现任何未受扰动的文化堆积。