South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology - SCIAA

05/27/2026

Join the Cayce Historical Museum on Saturday, May 30th at 10:00 AM for History, Coffee, and Pastries. Come hear Chris Judge on the origins of the Congaree Indians and their possible connections to the Mississippian kingdom of Cofitachequi. Enjoy hot coffee and fresh pastries in this hour-long history presentation in the Cayce Historical Museum's Visitor Center. Free to the Public. Coffee and pastries are first come, first served.

05/22/2026

🏺 Join us for Public Archaeology Day hosted by the ANTH 322 Archaeology Field School on Thursday, May 28!

This summer, students have been excavating areas connected to 19th-century buildings on USC’s Historic Horseshoe, uncovering spaces tied to daily life and labor on the early campus.

Visitors will have the opportunity to:
🔎 See active excavations
🏺 View artifacts recovered from past and current field seasons
📚 Learn about archaeological methods and fieldwork from USC students

📍 USC Historic Horseshoe (in front of the McKissick Museum)
🕙 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
📅 Thursday, May 28, 2026

Stop by and explore the stories beneath our campus!

05/18/2026

SCIAA staff, PhD student Larissa Daniels-Hill, and professor Dr. Chelsea Fisher, recently participated in a ground penetrating radar (GPR) workshop with Dr. Daniel Bigman from Bigman Geophysical LLC.

Later on, staff members did a short GPR survey on USC’s Historic Horseshoe (not pictured) for Dr. Kelly Goldberg’s field school to help locate a small 19th century building near McKissick Museum.

📸: Chris Saunders

05/14/2026

Mark your calendars!

Francis Marion – the Swamp Fox – was at the Siege of Fort Motte in 1781. He and “Light-Horse Harry” Lee were the Patriot commanders in that encounter with the British. But their heroism was exceeded in this case by a lady named Rebecca Brewton Motte. Unfortunately, primary written sources on...

05/06/2026

Molly Kantor is an Anthropology major and Environmental Studies minor graduating this month!

Kantor has been working under Classical Archaeologist and Professor, Dr. Parrish Wright, on her Departmental Undergraduate Research Track (DURT) thesis, “Alea Iacta Est: Expanding Interpretations of Ancient Roman Dice” this past semester, which she presented recently at USC’s Discovery Day. Her research was inspired by her time spent last summer at the Gabii field school in Italy where she excavated a small Roman die (a 3D printed copy of the die is featured in the second picture).

Great work and congratulations Molly!

04/30/2026

Curious about the past? This is your chance to dig in—literally and figuratively.

This Fall 2026, explore the deep history of Native American societies in the southeastern U.S. in ANTH 229: Southeastern Archaeology. Join Dr. Gabby Purcell as we uncover the past through the archaeological record—examining cultural change, belief systems, trade networks, technology, and the impacts of colonization. You’ll even get hands-on experience with artifacts and opportunities to visit significant sites.

🗓 Tuesdays & Thursdays | 2:50–4:05 PM
📍 Hamilton 140
🎓 3 credits | No prerequisites

Spots are open—register today!

04/29/2026

Spencer Smith is graduating this May with a double major in Anthropology and History with a Distinction in Leadership after completing a Departmental Undergraduate Research Track (DURT) Thesis in archaeology. He successfully defended his thesis last Thursday and presented his research, “Consumptive Resistance on College Campuses: An Investigation of Foodways on The Historic Horseshoe,” at Discovery Day USC last Friday.

Smith’s research was inspired by his work on USC’s Historic Horseshoe, completed during Dr. Kelly Goldberg’s field school in 2024. He dug a 1x1 meter unit primarily by himself (which was later expanded) near the McKissick Museum and revealed artifacts likely associated with an outdoor kitchen or food-processing area connected to the original President’s House (1807-1939). The unit uncovered a plethora of ceramic sherds and animal bone fragments that showed signs of cutting and butchering.

Smith will be starting a Master’s in History at USC this fall, with the hope of focusing on German history. However, before he starts his master’s, Smith is heading to Ireland to complete the Blackfriary Archaeology Field School to learn more about bioarchaeology techniques!

04/24/2026

Brea Stone, Maddie McClain, Hudson Davis, and Casey Fitzgerald presented their research, “Peeking Beneath the Rust: Re-evaluating USC’s History Through Metal Artifact Analysis” today at Discovery Day USC!

Their research, conducted under Dr. Kelly Goldberg with the guidance of Jim Legg, entailed the metal conservation of artifacts recovered from USC’s Historic Horseshoe.

“The muddled history of the University of South Carolina can be better understood through the use of archaeology and a variety of preservation techniques. Through the analysis of metal artifacts recovered from USC’s historic Horseshoe using the process of electrolysis, which uses electrical currents to create a chemical reaction in metal, breaking down rust to reveal the original object underneath, we hope to expand the dominant narrative about the history of the University. This will uncover information about the activities of the people who used to live and work there. Following electrolysis, we will engage in metal preservation processes to allow for the continuation of long-term analyses and research. With the expansion of USC, history has been incrementally erased through the construction of modern buildings over historic ones. As a result, certain narratives have been neglected, including those of enslaved people on campus, forming gaps and affecting the knowledge that can be considered common about USC’s history. Analyzing these metal artifacts can help determine labor patterns and migration patterns of the university’s workforce and add to the perspectives available of people from the 19th century to develop our view of university life within the context of this time period. We predict that this research will begin to bridge the gap of USC’s undocumented history.“

04/22/2026

It’s that time of year again! The Society for American Archaeology’s annual meeting is taking place April 29th through May 3rd in San Francisco!

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) will be the focus of presentations and discussions on Friday, May 1st. SCIAA’s Associate Director and NAGPRA coordinator, Nina Schreiner, is on the organizing committee this year and will be presenting her paper, “NAGPRA, Repatriation, and State Law: A Case Study from South Carolina,” that day. Her paper discusses how NAGPRA coincides with SC cemetery and preservation policies and how these laws could be improved. Schreiner is also a co-author of “The Southeastern NAGPRA Community of Practice (SNACP): A Year in Review and Looking toward the Future,” which will be presented on May 1st as well.

Director, Adam King, will present his work on chocolate residues found on Native American pottery sherds from the Mississippian Period (900-1600 AD), alongside Terry Powis, Shinya Shoda, Julia Becher, and Clarissa Cagnato. He and Powis will also be presenting their research on granite tool production in Pacita, Belize.

For more information:

The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) has learned of a company that is attempting to do business with SAA exhibitors and attendees by soliciting them for sleeping rooms in regard to the SAA Annual Meeting. The SAA does not endorse booking hotel reservations via another company or source. The on...

04/09/2026

We are excited to share that Dr. Steven Smith has been conferred the title of Research Professor Emeritus!

Smith retired this past December but became a Research Professor in 2019 and has been working at SCIAA since 1986.

Congratulations Dr. Smith!