South-Carolina

SC archaeologists searching for former slave quarters in public dig • SC Daily Gazette

Published

12 months ago

December 26, 2024

SC archaeologists searching for former slave quarters in public dig • SC Daily Gazette

HILTON HEAD — Researchers believe Green’s Shell Enclosure Heritage Preserve was once a ceremonial spot for Native American tribes that inhabited the state’s Sea Islands. Centuries later, it was also part of a large plantation, according to South Carolina archaeologists.

As archaeologists dig, seeking to uncover the foundations of former slave quarters, along with more artifacts from the land’s Native American history, they’re opening the property up next month for members of the public to tour and observe their work.

From Jan. 7-16, archaeologists will lead three free tours daily to show interested visitors how they discover information about a piece of land. Each tour is limited to 15 people, so the Department of Natural Resources encourages registering for the event.

One advantage of public tours is people can see all the work archaeologists do and not just the pottery or other items displayed in museums, project manager Meg Gaillard told the SC Daily Gazette.

The tours have to remain small because the excavation will involve digging holes throughout the 3-acre property. To start, they will create a grid of 100 holes about 30 centimeters wide and 100 centimeters deep, which Gaillard calls “windows into the ground.”

SC considers buying land for 2 new nature preserves

The archaeologists will then use what they find to decide where to expand their dig, looking for artifacts that could date back as far as 1335 A.D., around the same time as the Renaissance in Europe.

“I would encourage people to come and visit us a couple times during the field season, because they’re going to see a little bit of a different take on archaeology in the different weeks,” Gaillard said.

Green’s Shell Enclosure is named for an enclosure made of oyster and other shells that snakes through part of the property. The ridge, which measures from 20 to 30 feet wide at the base and 4 feet tall at its highest points, was built by Native Americans during a period known as the Irene phase, according to DNR. The period is named after an excavation at Irene Plantation near Savannah, Georgia.

The inhabitants of Green’s Shell were farmers who lived in large villages. They used shells to make pendants, called gorgets, as well as masks and beads.

Archaeologists believe the enclosure could have been a ceremonial site, according to DNR. Artifacts, including remnants of pottery, could give researchers a better picture of what people did there, Gaillard said.

Researchers are hoping to uncover some more recent history as well.

The enclosure at one point was located on the western section of the 1,000-acre Fairfield Plantation, also known as Stoney’s Place. About 150 enslaved people were thought to have lived on the plantation in the 1800s, according to DNR.

An excavation in the 1980s found the remains of a chimney on the preserve, in the same place where historical documents indicated slave quarters existed. Archaeologists hope to uncover foundations for the quarters, whether that includes relics or simply changes in the soil that indicate a building once stood there.

The state took over the site in 1991.

Researchers frequently study the state’s 18 cultural preserves, which are meant to preserve culturally significant places, but major excavations like this happen less often.

Archaeologists try to strike a balance between what they dig up and what they leave for future researchers with more advanced technology to uncover, Gaillard said.

Because the archaeologists studying the property in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s left parts of it untouched, current researchers were able to use newer ground-penetrating radar to discover the potential remnants of the slave quarters on the old plantation, Gaillard said.

Newest SC preserve opens, protecting 10,570 acres so far

Archaeologists will do the same thing this time around, excavating about 17% of the property to leave some mysteries for future researchers to solve, she said.

“In 20 years, there might be another excavation there for the next generation that’s going to disclose a whole bunch more about the past, so it’s very exciting,” Gaillard said.

While artifacts are often what people picture when thinking about excavations, other details in the land that are not as easily displayed can offer just as much, and sometimes more, information, Gaillard said.

“To an archaeologist, there’s so much more to that research than just the things and the objects that we bring out of the ground,” Gaillard said. “Sometimes, the dirt itself tells an amazing story that we can analyze for people that come and visit us.”

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South-Carolina

LIVE: SC AG Alan Wilson, state, national leaders hold press conference on statewide drug busts

Published

4 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

LIVE: SC AG Alan Wilson, state, national leaders hold press conference on statewide drug busts

Statehouse Reporter Mary Green will have more on this tonight.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – South Carolina Attorney General and other officials will be holding a press conference Friday at 9:30 a.m. to talk about statewide drug busts.

Wilson is set to be joined by South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel, representatives from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security, as well as several local sheriffs and other law enforcement partners.

Watch the full press conference in the video above.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.

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South-Carolina

2026 Football Schedule Unveiled

Published

16 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

The University of South Carolina’s 2026 football schedule has been unveiled, it was announced tonight on the SEC Network.

The Gamecocks’ 2026 schedule features nine regular-season SEC contests, with five games at home and four on the road. The schedule also includes non-conference games versus Kent State and Towson as part of the seven-game home slate, and a non-conference road contest at Clemson.

After opening the season with three-consecutive home games for the first time since 2014, the Gamecocks will alternate home and road contests throughout the remainder of the schedule. The 2026 schedule features just one open date which will come on week 7 (October 17).

As announced on Monday, the Gamecocks will open the season on Sept. 5 by hosting Kent State. Carolina drubbed the Golden Flashes in its only previous encounter, a 77-14 decision in 1995. Kent State finished the 2025 season with a 5-7 mark overall and a 4-4 record in the Mid-American Conference.

Week 2 will see the Towson Tigers make their first trip to Williams-Brice Stadium. The Tigers compete in the FCS Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and posted a 6-6 record in 2025 under head coach Pete Shinnick.

The Gamecocks begin their nine-game SEC gauntlet on Sept. 19 when Mississippi State visits Columbia. Carolina has won eight of the last nine meeting with the Bulldogs including a 37-30 win in 2023, the only contest played between the two schools since 2016. The Gamecocks lead the all-time series by a 10-7 margin. Mississippi State is one of seven teams on Carolina’s 2026 schedule that is playing in a post-season game this year.

The Gamecocks first road trip of the 2026 season takes them to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 26 for a date with the Alabama Crimson Tide, one of four teams on South Carolina’s 2026 slate that will appear in this year’s College Football Playoffs. It will mark the third-consecutive season that Carolina and Alabama have squared off, with the Tide narrowly winning the previous two – 27-25 in Tuscaloosa in 2024 and 29-22 in Columbia in 2025.

The Gamecocks and Kentucky Wildcats will meet in Columbia on Oct. 3. The teams met in Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 27, 2025, with Carolina prevailing by a 35-13 score, its fourth-straight win in a series they lead 22-14-1.

Carolina wraps up the first half of the season at Florida on Oct. 10. The Gamecocks and Gators met every year on the gridiron from 1992-2023 but have not played in either of the last two seasons. Florida holds a commanding 31-10-3 lead in the all-time series including a 17-2 advantage when playing in The Swamp. Carolina’s last win in Gainesville came in overtime the 2014 season.

After an open date on Oct. 17, the Gamecocks will return to action at home on Oct. 24 against the Tennessee Volunteers. Like Florida, the Gamecocks and Vols met every year from 1992-2023 but have not played in either of the last two seasons. Tennessee leads the all-time series by a 29-13-2 count including a narrow 10-8-2 advantage when the game has been played in Columbia.

The Gamecocks will spend Halloween in Norman playing the Oklahoma Sooners. The teams had never met prior to OU joining the SEC but have played each of the past two seasons with each team winning on the others’ home field.

The Bonham Trophy will be at stake on Nov. 7 when Texas A&M visits Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks and Aggies have met every year since A&M joined the SEC in 2014. The Aggies hold a 10-2 advantage in the all-time series, but the Gamecocks have won each of the last two meetings in Columbia.

The Gamecocks will travel to Fayetteville, Ark. for just the second time since 2013 when they tangle with the Arkansas Razorbacks on Nov. 14. South Carolina has won three of the last four games with the Hogs, but Arkansas clings to a 14-10 advantage in the all-time series.

The second-longest running series in school history behind only Carolina-Clemson, the Carolina-Georgia rivalry gets renewed on Nov. 21 when the Bulldogs make their way to Columbia from Athens. Georgia has won 55 of the previous 76 meetings between the flagship schools from neighboring states, with the Gamecocks last win coming in 2019.

The 2026 regular season comes to an end on Nov. 28 when the Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers meet in the annual Palmetto Bowl. The 2026 meeting will take place in the Upstate, where the Gamecocks have won each of their last two visits.

SEASON TICKETS
Whether you’ve been attending games for years or want to experience the magic for the first time, it’s not too early to secure your season tickets for the 2026 season. Season tickets are available for as low as $65 per game with a 10-month payment plan option available. Fans interested in purchasing season tickets for the first time, can place a season ticket deposit today for only $50 plus fees or fill out our season ticket interest form to receive more information. Current season ticket holders will receive information soon on how to renew their tickets for the 2026 season and can contact their Gamecock Club Account Representative today to enroll in the 10-month payment plan. For more information on ticket options for the 2026 season, visit 2026 Football Hub.

2026 SOUTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 5                  vs Kent State
Sept. 12 vs Towson
Sept. 19 vs Mississippi State*
Sept. 26 at Alabama*
Oct. 3 vs Kentucky*
Oct. 10 at Florida*
Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
Oct. 24                 vs Tennessee*
Oct. 31 at Oklahoma*
Nov. 7 vs Texas A&M*
Nov. 14                 at Arkansas*
Nov. 21                 vs Georgia*
Nov. 28 at Clemson

*-SEC game

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South-Carolina

Nebraska targeting former South Carolina coach Lonnie Teasley

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Nebraska targeting former South Carolina coach Lonnie Teasley

Nebraska is targeting ex-South Carolina offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley for an offensive staff role, according to the Omaha World-Herald’s Sam McKewon. The role itself is still to be determined.

Teasley spent three seasons as the Gamecocks’ offensive line coach. He had been with the program since 2021, serving as an offensive analyst. He assumed on-field coaching duties for the program in 2022.

Teasley was let go by South Carolina in October, ending his time with the program.

In addition to his coaching role, he was a strong recruiter for the Gamecocks. He most recently landed Darius Gray, the top interior offensive line recruit in the 2026 class. He was also able to land four-star offensive tackle Kamari Blair for the class as well.

Nebraska football has undergone several changes on offense over the last couple of days. They hired former Georgia Tech offensive line coach Geep Wade for the same position on Saturday, following the firing of Donovan Raiola.

The program is making sweeping changes on both sides of the football. Adding Teasley to the staff would be important for the program, which needs to be better prepared across all areas.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

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