Archaic Shell Rings of the Southeast U.S.

Russo, Michael

Since 1998, the National Park Service has been developing a National Historic Landmark Historic Context on Late Archaic (5000–3000 B.P.) shell ring sites in the southeastern United States. The purpose of this study is to provide the archeological and historical context for nominating nationally significant Late Archaic shell-ring sites for designation as National Historic Landmarks. Shell rings are circular to horseshoe-shaped piles of shell (primarily oyster) ranging in size from 50 to up to 250 meters across and located along the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. Hunter-gatherer societies became increasingly complex during the Late Archaic in the southeastern United States. Monument construction, such as shell rings, and new technologies like pottery are evidence of this complexity. Evidence of the first permanent settlements, the first inter-coastal exchange patterns, the development of founding new coastal cultural traditions and the increase in social complexity can all be studied through examination of shell ring sites. Accompanying this historic context as an example of how evaluations of shell ring sites for National Historic Landmark status are carried out is the National Historic Landmark nomination of the Fig Island shell-ring complex (38Ch42). Two of the Fig Island rings (2 and 3) were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Recent investigations reveal that the site is larger and more complex than was known in 1970. In fact, the site is the best preserved example of early large-scale monumental architecture on United States coasts. By volume, the complex is larger than any other single Archaic shell-ring site. The ten historic contexts identified in Section B are described herein. These establish as nationally significant the contexts of architecture, settlement, exchange, technology, ethnic identity, cultural traditions, and social organization as they relate to Late Archaic shell rings. All are intrinsically tied into the NPS’s Thematic Framework, which includes the broader applicable themes of Peopling Places, Expressing Cultural Values, Expanding Science and Technology, and Transforming the Environment. Shell rings hold superlative positions relative to the NPS’s thematic framework because rings represent the first, earliest, oldest, largest, or most complex examples of architecture, settlement, exchange, technology, ethnic identity, cultural traditions and social organization of this period in this large region of the United States and thus constitute national levels of significance.

Archaic Shell Rings of the Southeast U.S.

Series

Collections