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Can you dig it? Archaeologists excavate plantation site at Palmetto Bluff

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It's been 142 years since slaves worked James T. Theus' fields, but the plow scars are still there -- 2 feet underground.

Theus, of John's Island, married Louise Mongin, the granddaughter of a plantation owner in what is now Palmetto Bluff. Her family did not own the entire property, but one of several plantations. Theus acquired 1,000 acres and had 36 slaves. He raised livestock and harvested corn, rice, cotton, peas, beans and sweet potatoes.

For the past couple of months, archaeologists have been excavating the fields, searching for the remains of Theus Plantation.

The Theus family maintained the plantation after the Civil War, but sold it in 1890 to J.H. Estill, who owned the Savannah Morning News. It's unknown what happened to the plantation house. Most records of the site were lost in a courthouse fire or en route to Columbia during the Civil War, but artifacts can shed light on the plantation's history.

Remnants of a fence line, broken bricks, ceramic shards, pieces of glass and handmade nails found at the site indicate a house was there, but signs of a foundation have yet to be uncovered.

Now, in a final effort to find a house, scientists are putting their shovels aside and using ground-penetrating radar to determine if they should keep digging.

BENEATH THE SURFACE

Dan Elliott, president of Savannah-based LAMAR Institute, conducts archaeological research with radar technology. One job could cost about $4,000, but he donated a day's work to show Integrated Archaeological Services Inc., of Bluffton, what the technology can do, in hopes they hire him for future projects.

He surveyed the field Monday with his radar device, which looks like a small lawn mower with a computer screen attached. When he pushes it over the grass, a readout appears on the screen where objects could be underground. Lines form in an arch shape similar to those in fingerprints.

"It works like cops' radar that's catching you for speeding, only, hopefully, nothing's moving," Elliott said. "A radar transmitter sends down a microwave pulse and waits for a returning echo."

The computer saves all the information and Elliott uses it to create a map of what's underground at varying depths. He can't always tell what's there, but he can identify large objects that would be worth digging for, such as cellars, wells, trash pits or the foundation of a home.

"It's a nondestructive technique that gives you a map before you start," he said. "It's always going to take people and a shovel .... (but with the technology) you can get more done."

FINDING HISTORY

Federal and state laws require developers to look for cultural resources on sites eligible for the National Register of Historic Places before building. Theus Plantation is planned for residential uses, but laws require the developer to document the site's history before disturbing the land. Palmetto Bluff is in its second phase of construction, but much of the 20,000 acres has yet to be developed.

Palmetto Bluff contracted with Integrated Archaeological Services to conduct 30 digs on the property, ranging from former plantations to Native-American sites.

Thousands of artifacts have been found and are in the process of being separated, analyzed and stored. Eventually, some will be on display for public view, said Palmetto Bluff's archaeologist, Mary Socci.

At Theus Plantation, many artifacts were found on the ground's surface.

"The problem is it has been plowed, so artifacts are jumbled up," Socci said. "It takes it out of context. So we stripped off the plow zone with a backhoe (by digging two large trenches) and looked for features."

They found a row of fence posts about 176-feet long and some burnt tree roots that could indicate a past forest fire. The house also could have been burned, Socci said.

In three smaller excavation units, archaeologists found nails from the 18th and 19th centuries, glass, oyster shells, hunting tools and ceramic pieces, including Basaltware -- used during times of mourning, similar to wearing dark clothing.

If Elliott's maps identify features worth digging for, the excavation will continue. If not, all samples will be sent to the State Historic Preservation Office for approval and then stored at Palmetto Bluff.

"The hope is we'll find an area (to excavate further)," Socci said. "So far, work has indicated a house is here."

Elliott expects to have the map and report available in about a week.

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