Stallings Island
Encyclopedia
Stallings Island is an archeological site with shell mounds, located in the Savannah River
near Augusta, Georgia
, and the namesake for the Stallings culture of the Late Archaic period and for Stallings fiber-tempered pottery, the oldest pottery in North America.
Stallings Island was identified as an archaeological site in 1861, and has been the subject of several scientific excavations, as well as extensive unauthorized looting. The island was acquired by the Archaeological Conservancy in 1998. Stallings Island was occupied from about 4600 to about 4000 radiocarbon years before present
(rcybp), and again from about 3800 rcybp to 3400 rcybp. The site was occupied during the first period by people of the Paris Island (ca. 4500-4200 rcybp) and Mill Branch (ca. 4200-3800 rcybp) phases, pre-ceramic traditions that harvested large numbers of freshwater mussel
s. During the second period the site was occupied by people of the Classic Stallings culture, who used decorated pottery. The earliest, undecorated, Stallings ceramics first appeared at other sites while Stallings Island itself was unoccupied.
The site was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1961.
Stallings Island Middle School in Martinez, GA was named after this site.
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...
near Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
, and the namesake for the Stallings culture of the Late Archaic period and for Stallings fiber-tempered pottery, the oldest pottery in North America.
Stallings Island was identified as an archaeological site in 1861, and has been the subject of several scientific excavations, as well as extensive unauthorized looting. The island was acquired by the Archaeological Conservancy in 1998. Stallings Island was occupied from about 4600 to about 4000 radiocarbon years before present
Before Present
Before Present years is a time scale used in archaeology, geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events in the past occurred. Because the "present" time changes, standard practice is to use AD 1950 as the origin of the age scale, reflecting the fact that radiocarbon...
(rcybp), and again from about 3800 rcybp to 3400 rcybp. The site was occupied during the first period by people of the Paris Island (ca. 4500-4200 rcybp) and Mill Branch (ca. 4200-3800 rcybp) phases, pre-ceramic traditions that harvested large numbers of freshwater mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s. During the second period the site was occupied by people of the Classic Stallings culture, who used decorated pottery. The earliest, undecorated, Stallings ceramics first appeared at other sites while Stallings Island itself was unoccupied.
The site was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1961.
Stallings Island Middle School in Martinez, GA was named after this site.