Celebrate archaeological heritage of South Carolina at Beaufort District Collection

Blogger Brian Mathews reminded me that communities are "people doing stuff together." As he wrote, libraries "cannot be everything to everyone, but we can be very good at being some things to many people." One of the things that the Beaufort District Collection does very well is collaborate to bring programs and events to Beaufort County residents during October. I've done so for a decade in cahoots with Ian Hill, Beaufort County's Historic Preservationist.

We arrange programs and events to bring our state's prehistoric and historic past to life for all ages in ways that build local public support for the preservation of our shared Native American, African and European heritage. Themes have included underwater archaeology; military sites archaeology; the enduring connection of South Carolina to the West Indies; archaeology of African-Americans, Native Americans and the Civil War; archaeological technology; and archaeological outreach efforts. In the past, we've hosted lectures, arranged exhibits, created a map of tabby structures in downtown Beaufort, sponsored a Gullah food luncheon, arranged a bus tour of Santa Elena and discussed films to celebrate.

This year, we're offering artifact identification sessions and lectures with support from the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Coastal Discovery Museum, and the Beaufort and Hilton Head Island chapters of the Archaeological Society of South Carolina to bring attention to "The Woodland Period in South Carolina."

Archaeological investigations over the past half century have expanded our understanding of the people living here from the time of King David to Richard the Lionheart, or roughly the period 1000 BC to AD 1200. We know far more about Native American daily life, foodways, burial customs, pottery skills and stone tool craft of that period as a result of the hard work of professional archaeologists, interested local residents and descendant communities through the past 50 years.

You can read about the accumulated wealth of knowledge about the Woodlands Period in many of the archaeological reports housed in the Beaufort District Collection. We're open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday -- which also just so happens to be the hours of operation for viewing the "Creating the Carolinas" traveling exhibit from the South Carolina Historical Society now on display in the BDC.

Perhaps you have some Woodland Period artifacts in need of identification. Bring them -- or any other artifacts you have lying around -- to one of the "What the Heck Is It?" sessions. Respected archaeologists Dr. Jon Leader, SCIAA, and Dr. Eric Poplin, Brockington and Associates, will be on hand to tell you what the objects are or might be. The ASSC Hilton Head chapter will host a session from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Coastal Discovery Museum on Hilton Head (www.coastaldiscovery.org). The ASSC Beaufort chapter will host a session from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 18 in the BDC in Beaufort. Both sessions are free and open to the public. For details, go to www.beaufortcountylibrary.org.

Prefer a lecture? Here again you have two options. Learn about the archaeology of the local Yamasee Indians from 1684 up to the start of the Yamasee War in 1715 with University of South Carolina Lancaster professor Chris Judge at noon Oct. 22 at the Coastal Discovery Museum. The lecture is free, but reservations are required: http://bit.ly/1DwXC7K

Does an evening lecture suit your schedule better? If so, Judge explores the Woodland Period, when Native American societies in South Carolina introduced the bow and arrow, expanded recently invented clay pottery traditions, began growing native crops in gardens, and buried certain individuals with great fanfare and effort. The lecture is at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Beaufort District Collection. It is free, but space is limited. Details: 843-255-6468, http://bit.ly/ZGV33b

For the cinematically minded, there are 17 films featured in the second Arkhaois Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Film Festival from Oct. 23-25 at the Coligny Theatre on Hilton Head. Details: www.arkhaiosfilmfestival.org

Do you like posters? We will distribute printed copies of the 2014 Archaeology Month poster "Woodlands Period in South Carolina" at the scheduled programs until they run out.

Come celebrate the archaeological heritage of our state.

Grace Morris Cordial is Beaufort District Collection manager and historical resources coordinator at Beaufort County Library.

RELATED CONTENT

• Archives are awesome: Celebrate history at Beaufort District Collection
• Celebrate your right to read whatever you want -- even if 'underpants' is in the title
• Join the club, the Beaufort County Library book club, that is

This story was originally published October 4, 2014 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Celebrate archaeological heritage of South Carolina at Beaufort District Collection."