Archeaology - Historic Contexts

Historic Contexts

Historic contexts play an important role in evaluating the significance of archaeological sites and historic resources. As defined by the National Park Service, “historic contexts are those patterns or trends in history by which a specific occurrence, property, or site is understood and its meaning (and ultimately its significance) within history or prehistory is made” (National Register Bulletin 1990). Historic contexts also aim to define property types, take stock of sites (known and projected), pose research questions, provide evaluation criteria, and discuss key bibiliographic material.

This section of the website includes historic contexts that have been developed in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Some of the historic contexts presented on this page were developed as mitigation components for archaeological sites lost to development. Other contexts were either developed through the SHPO’s federal grants program, the Council of South Carolina Professional Archaeologists (COSCAPA), or independent research. See also Historic Contexts and Other Historical Background Studies. All contexts are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.*

History of the Phosphate Mining Industry in the South Carolina Lowcountry: (From: Archaeological Data Recovery at Archaeological Sites 38DR60/81 and 38DR192, The Appian Way Development Tract) Funded by Sailford Land Company, LLC of Dallas Texas. (8MB)

Mills in the Upcountry: A Historic Context and a Summary of a Mill Site on the Peters Creek Heritage Preserve. (4MB)

Rice Cultivation, Processing, and Marketing in the Eighteenth-Century

Historic Context for Eighteenth-Century Overseers

A Preliminary Archaeological Context for Greenville County, South Carolina

Earliest Americans NHL Theme Study

National Register Multiple Property Submissions (MPS)

These MPS cover documents contain valuable historic context information on groups of archaeology related properties in South Carolina:

Civil War Defenses of Charleston

Congaree Swamp National Monument

Early Ironworks of Northwestern SC

Flue-cured Tobacco Production

Georgetown Co. Rice Culture

Shell Rings of South Carolina

Pacolet Soapstone Quarries

Yamasee Indian Towns

*If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader you must download it before viewing the file. There is no charge for the program. If you have questions or comments about the Acrobat file, please contact the webmaster.