CERTAIN ABORIGINAL MOUNDS OF THE COAST OF 

 SOUTH CAROLINA. 



By Clarence B. Moore. 



At the conclusion of our work on the Georgia coast, the results of which we 

 have published in this Journal, 1 it seemed advisable, for the purpose of comparison, to 

 continue our labors northward along the coast of South Carolina, or rather as much 

 of it as affords an inland passage by water, sheltered by sea-islands, as is the case 

 along the entire coast of Georgia. The portion of the South Carolina littoral per- 

 mitting inland navigation lies between the Savannah river on the south and 

 Georgetown on the north, about 125 miles in a straight line. A very extended 

 amount of territory, however, much of it low lying marsh, is included between the 

 sounds; the rivers, which are often only arms of the sea, the creeks and waterways 

 of this portion of the coast. 



That part of the coast lying between the Savannah river and St. Helena 

 sound (see map) was many times gone over by us, and the inhabitants carefully ques- 

 tioned. In addition, we received material aid from a number of gentlemen of South 

 Carolina and Mr. Clarence U. V. Benton, of near Beaufort, in particular, who made 

 careful inquiries over an extended period of time, and afforded us much valuable 

 information as to the locality of mounds. In this district, the coast of Beaufort 

 county, in addition to the localities particularly referred to as having mounds, we 

 searched Daufuskie island, Bull island, Hilton Head island, Jenkins island, Pinck- 

 ney island, Spring island, Ladies island, and part of the mainland without finding 

 mounds used for burial, though dwelling sites marked by the presence of oyster- 

 shells were often met with, and on Bull island an interesting circular enclosure of 

 oyster-shells of the same type as the great enclosure on Sapelo island, Georgia, 

 though smaller. 



The coast district lying between St. Helena sound and Charleston was less 

 thoroughly searched. Inquiries were made along the inland route, and, in addition, 

 parts of the North Edisto river, Bohicket creek, Steamboat creek, and the Stono 

 river were gone over in a fruitless search, which yielded to our inquiries nothing 

 but tar kilns and comparatively modern fortifications. Furthermore, there seemed to 

 be, on the part of the inhabitants, a total ignorance of the existence of mounds on 

 this part of the coast. 



1 " Certain Aboriginal Mounds of the Georgia Coast." Vol. XI. 



