ShoreGuard Saves Ancient Treasure Trove
-An ultra-modern construction material is giving archeologists a chance to finally learn more about an ancient society.
Atlanta, GA (Vocus) June 25, 2007
An ultra-modern construction material is giving archeologists a chance to finally learn more about an ancient society. In January, crews completed a bulkhead in Edisto Beach, South Carolina using ShoreGuard 950, an exclusive vinyl sheet piling product created by Crane Materials International (CMI).
Long before the Greeks attacked Troy and perhaps even a thousand years before Rome was founded, an early society of Native Americans thrived in Edisto Beach, which is about 50 miles south of present day Charleston. We don't know much about their life on the barrier island, but we certainly have proof that they threw away a lot of trash. That trash, consisting of an enormous mound of mostly shells, plus some bones and pottery shards, has hidden clues about the area's early inhabitants. Yet, year after year, archaeologists watched helplessly as the treasure was washed away by storms and surf.
"I saw the site for the first time 15 years ago. Five years ago, I started working for the state," says David Jones, an archeologist with the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. "I could not believe how much of it had disappeared in just ten years. I knew something had to be done quickly. It's been horrible to watch history literally wash away. Every time I would go down to the site, I was afraid of what I might find."
No one really knows how big the shell mound was when the early Edistoy Indians inhabited the area. After all, that was 2,500 to 4,500 years ago. Because it sits on the bank of a creek, most of it has washed downstream over time. Archeologists say that in the early 1800s the shell mound was about 20 feet high and covered half an acre of ground. Today the site, called Spanish Mount, is only about 10 feet high and 65 feet long.
Jones says most of the shell mound has never been excavated, despite the fact that it holds some of the oldest pottery in North America. Until now, his main focus has been just keeping the site from completely disappearing. Finally, last year the state agreed to build a bulkhead in order to create a barrier between the shell mound and the water. However, installing a bulkhead requires digging into the ground, which sends vibrations throughout the surrounding soil. Jones and other archeologists worried that any construction work would cause the shell mound to collapse.
In order to protect the unstable mound, engineers almost immediately ruled out using traditional construction materials such as timber. Instead, they chose ShoreGuard 950. "Driving timber piles and tieback (anchors) would have created too much vibration. ShoreGuard was strong enough to do this job without requiring tiebacks. That meant less installation issues," says the chief engineer on the project, David Simms.
The state hired Santee Marine Construction, Inc. to handle the delicate project. The company's business manager, Bill Grover, has had positive experience with CMI products in the past and immediately agreed that ShoreGuard was the perfect material for the job. "In addition to the vibration concern, this project was really driven by cost,"
Grover says. "We could have put up a wood wall for the same amount of money, but we didn't think it would last as long as vinyl. Our Parks and Recreation Department doesn't have a lot of extra money, so they needed something that would last." In a marsh environment, it usually doesn't take long for marine borers and other tiny parasites to attack treated lumber. Because these destructive creatures have no appetite for vinyl, ShoreGuard offers enhanced protection from infestation. Plus, it does not corrode like metal materials.
Santee Marine employees arrived at the site in December and basically lived there until the bulkhead was completed a month later. In order to protect the shell mound, no equipment or materials could be brought in over land. Crews had to use boats to get to the site and then carefully move the material.
Jones watched nervously as the first sheets went into the ground. He knew the bulkhead was the only way to save the ancient shell mound, but worried the site might be destroyed in the process. "The vibrating was a huge concern. I can't say it enough," Jones recalls. "I'm happy to report that the ShoreGuard vinyl sheets worked great. I don't even think a half a dozen shells fell out! I'm relieved and thrilled at the result."
Now that the shell mound is protected from the constant threat of erosion, Jones is excited about the future. He is working to secure a grant to begin a full-scale archeological excavation. "The potential is enormous. For example, the Native Americans decorated their pottery by jabbing reeds into the surface of the wet clay. Every time we go down to the shell mound, I see a new decoration I've never seen before. We will finally be able to learn so much more about these people - what they ate and how they lived."
The site is surrounded by a four-mile trail. In recent years, the state had to close a portion of the trail to keep hikers from disturbing the deteriorating pile. Because of the ShoreGuard bulkhead, there is now far less worry about the mound collapsing. The state plans to reopen the area and create an educational program for visitors. Thousands of years after the first inhabitants decided the creek bank would be a good place to put their trash, we may finally get a glimpse into their ancient world.
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