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.*

Sumter National Forest Cultural Resources Overview. Provides information on the nature and distribution of cultural resources, placing these resources in a framework of the cultural history of upstate South Carolina, in addition to examining the U. S. Forest Service's predictive model. (8 MB)

South Carolina Land Phosphates in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries: Toward an Archaelogical Context. Provides an archaeological context for the study of South Carolina's phosphate industry, with a special emphasis on phosphate mining camps.

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. Discusses South Carolina's rice production from introduction through the American Revolution.

Context for Eighteenth-Century Overseers. Provides information about how overseers were retained, salaries, and social standing.

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.