Shaw Air Force Base: Test Excavations at 20 Archaeological Sites on the Poinsett Electric Combat Range, Sumter County, South Carolina Vol. I

This report presents the results of Phase II archeological testing of 20 prehistoric sites on the Poinsett
Electronic Combat Range, Sumter County, South Carolina (i.e., 38SU51, 38SU52, and 38SU107, 38SU138/139, 38SU158, 38SU172, 38SUI73, 38SU178, 38SU179, 38SU180, 38SU181, 38SU182/208, 38SU203, 38SU206, 38SU207, 38SU215, 38SU218, and 38SU232). The sites are located in the Coastal Plain province and ring the edge of Big Bay, one of the largest Carolina bays in South Carolina. All of the sites are located on land owned by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the testing was conducted in order to assess each site's eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), in accordance with and in partial fulfillment of the obligation of the USAF under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended through 1992 (P.L. 89-665; 80 Stat. 915; 16 U.S.C. § 470 et seq.}, the Archeological and Historical Preservation Act of 1974, as amended (P.L. 93-291 ), the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRF A) of 1978, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (P.L. 90-190), and Executive Order No. 11593, "Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment."

The 1997 Phase II excavations involved the hand excavation of 3,450 30-x-30-cm shovel tests and 141 1-x-1-m test units. Within the 20 sites, the full range of occupation periods was identified, ranging from
Paleo-Indian/Early Archaic to Mississippian. In addition, three cultural features were identified, including an elliptical, basin-shaped pit at site 38SU 178; a cluster of sandstone rocks at site 38SU 179; and a circular, basin-shaped pit at site 38SU232. The Phase II excavations resulted in the recovery of 9, I 00 lithic artifacts, 2,622 ceramic artifacts, 37 historic artifacts, 290 bone fragments, and 282 macrobotanical specimens. No Native American graves or mortuary features were identified at any of the tested sites.

Based on the Phase II results, II of the tested sites are recommended as being eligible for inclusion in the NRHP (i.e., 38SU51, 38SU52, 38SUJ07, 38SUJ78, 38SUJ79, 38SU180, 38SUJ81, 38SU182/208,
38SU203, 38SU215, and 38SU232). While the majority of the sites contain some level of research
potential, the recommended sites were chosen for a combination of the data sets present in the site deposits and specific components with good to excellent research potential. Some of these sites can yield important data pertaining to one component, others can yield data pertinent to multiple components. Taken together, these II sites contain data relevant to the full record of prehistoric occupation in the Big Bay area, from the Paleo-Indian/Early Archaic; through the Early, Middle, and Late Woodland; up to the Mississippian period. Based on previous investigations in the uplands of the Coastal Plain, it can be assumed that many of these components represent short-term residential or logistical occupations by small social groups involved in seasonal exploitation of the rich aquatic and terrestrial resources of Big Bay North and South. It is believed that coordinated investigation of these sites will provide a valuable source of data on diachronic variation in camp structure and settlement strategy throughout the entire prehistoric period in the Big Bay area.

这份报告呈现了南卡罗来纳州萨姆特县庞塞特电子靶场（Poinsett Electronic Combat Range）内20处史前遗址的第二阶段考古勘探结果，涉及遗址编号分别为38SU51、38SU52、38SU107、38SU138/139、38SU158、38SU172、38SU173、38SU178、38SU179、38SU180、38SU181、38SU182/208、38SU203、38SU206、38SU207、38SU215、38SU218及38SU232。上述遗址均坐落于沿海平原地质省，环绕大贝（Big Bay）的边缘——大贝是南卡罗来纳州规模最大的卡罗来纳湾地貌之一。所有遗址均位于美国空军（U.S. Air Force, USAF）所属土地范围内，本次勘探工作旨在评估各遗址是否具备纳入《国家史迹名录》（National Register of Historic Places, NRHP）的资格，以履行美国空军根据1966年《国家历史保护法》（经1992年修订，公法89-665；80 Stat. 915；16 U.S.C. § 470 et seq.）、1974年《考古与历史保护法》（经修订，公法93-291）、1978年《美国印第安宗教自由法》（AIRFA）、1990年《美洲原住民墓葬保护与归还法》（NAGPRA）、1969年《国家环境政策法》（公法90-190）以及行政命令第11593号《保护与提升文化环境》所承担的部分法定义务。

1997年开展的第二阶段发掘工作包含人工发掘3450组30×30厘米的铲探坑与141个1×1平方米的考古探方。在这20处遗址中，已识别出从古印第安人/早阿尔奇克时期到密西西比时期的全部史前居住阶段遗存。此外还发现三处文化遗迹：38SU178遗址处的椭圆形盆状坑、38SU179遗址处的砂岩岩块集群，以及38SU232遗址处的圆形盆状坑。本次第二阶段发掘共出土9100件石质制品、2622件陶瓷制品、37件历史时期遗物、290块骨残片以及282件大植物标本。所有受勘探遗址均未发现美洲原住民墓葬或丧葬类遗迹。

基于第二阶段勘探结果，本次推荐11处遗址具备纳入《国家史迹名录》的资格，对应编号为38SU51、38SU52、38SU107、38SU178、38SU179、38SU180、38SU181、38SU182/208、38SU203、38SU215及38SU232。尽管多数遗址均具备一定程度的研究潜力，但入选推荐名单的遗址是综合考量遗址堆积中的数据集与具有良好至优秀研究潜力的特定遗存组合后选定的。其中部分遗址可提供针对单一遗存类型的重要数据，其余遗址则可提供涉及多类遗存的相关资料。这11处遗址共同涵盖了大贝地区从旧石器时代印第安人/早阿尔奇克时期、早、中、晚期伍德兰时期直至密西西比时期的完整史前居住记录。根据此前对沿海平原高地的考古调查结果，可以推断这些遗存中的多数代表了小型社会群体为季节性开发大贝南北两侧丰富的水生与陆生资源而开展的短期居住或后勤作业活动。我们认为，对这些遗址开展协同调查，将为大贝地区整个史前时期营地结构与定居策略的历时性变化提供极具价值的研究数据。