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Discovering South Carolina's Rock Art
For years Tommy Charles searched South Carolina's upcountry for examples of ancient rock art carvings and paintings, efforts conducted on behalf of the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA). As SCIAA's collections coordinator, Charles amassed considerable field experience in both prehistoric and historic archaeology and had firsthand involvement in cataloging sixty-four sites of South Carolina rock art. Charles chronicles his adventures in exploration and preservation in Discovering South Carolina's Rock Art.
Although Native American rock art is common in the western United States and even at many sites east of the Mississippi, it was believed to be almost nonexistent in South Carolina until the 1980s, when several randomly discovered petroglyphs were reported in the upstate. These discoveries set in motion the first organized endeavor to identify and document these ancient examples of human expression in South Carolina. Over the ensuing years, and assisted by a host of volunteers and avocational collectors, Charles scoured the Piedmont and mountains of South Carolina in search of additional rock art. Frustrated by the inability to find these elusive artifacts, many of which are eroded almost beyond visibility, Charles began employing methods still considered unorthodox by current scientific standards for archaeological research to assist with his search and documentation.
Survey efforts led to the discovery of rock art created by Native Americans and Europeans. Of particular interest are the many circle-and-line petroglyphs the survey found in South Carolina. Seeking a reason for this repetitive symbol, Charles's investigation into these finds led to the discovery that similar motifs had been identified along the Appalachian Mountains from Alabama to New York, as well as in the American Southwest and Western Europe.
This engrossing account of the search for South Carolina's rock art brings awareness to the precarious state of these artifacts, threatened not only by natural attrition but also by human activities. Charles argues that, if left unprotected, rock art is ultimately doomed to exist only in our historical records.
Although Native American rock art is common in the western United States and even at many sites east of the Mississippi, it was believed to be almost nonexistent in South Carolina until the 1980s, when several randomly discovered petroglyphs were reported in the upstate. These discoveries set in motion the first organized endeavor to identify and document these ancient examples of human expression in South Carolina. Over the ensuing years, and assisted by a host of volunteers and avocational collectors, Charles scoured the Piedmont and mountains of South Carolina in search of additional rock art. Frustrated by the inability to find these elusive artifacts, many of which are eroded almost beyond visibility, Charles began employing methods still considered unorthodox by current scientific standards for archaeological research to assist with his search and documentation.
Survey efforts led to the discovery of rock art created by Native Americans and Europeans. Of particular interest are the many circle-and-line petroglyphs the survey found in South Carolina. Seeking a reason for this repetitive symbol, Charles's investigation into these finds led to the discovery that similar motifs had been identified along the Appalachian Mountains from Alabama to New York, as well as in the American Southwest and Western Europe.
This engrossing account of the search for South Carolina's rock art brings awareness to the precarious state of these artifacts, threatened not only by natural attrition but also by human activities. Charles argues that, if left unprotected, rock art is ultimately doomed to exist only in our historical records.
168 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 17, 2019
This work is the result of a survey, begun in 1997, and jointly conducted by the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina and a group of Greenville County citizens who helped fund the project. Before 1983 it was generally believed that there were no prehistoric petroglyphs in South Carolina; but the survey discovered 61 rock art sites in the Upstate, some that included many glyphs. Obviously, the subject is of interest to comparatively few people; but the book is definitive within its sphere, clearly written and nicely illustrated—easily accessible to the general reader.
January 17, 2011
The 2 rating applies only to me and my particular interests. This seems to me to be a book written primarily for professionals. The focus is on where and how a number of petroglyphs were found in South Carolina. They are carefully documented and empirically described. Most have been badly eroded which makes dating problematic and most are abstract, which makes interpretation dicey. The author is obviously a careful and precise scientist and pretty much refuses to speculate on meaning of the art or the people who may have created this it. The photograpy is generally good, although in a couple of instances the glyphs were so indistinct that the picture could have been omitted. Probably a great book for someone with a professional interest and certainly a significant contribution to South Carolina history.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews