Paleoamerican Expedition
|2008 Expedition Member Registration|Virtual Museum| Expedition Information |
|Topper Publications|2005 Clovis in the Southeast Conference|
|Southeastern Paleoamerican Survey|
Researching the presence of . . .
Ice Age Man in South Carolina
The South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology
invites you to join them for the . . .
2008 ALLENDALE PALEOAMERICAN EXPEDITION
May 5th - June 7th, 2008
THE TOPPER SITE
In 1998,
archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the
University of South Carolina, while excavating a prehistoric site on the
Savannah river in Allendale County, SC, discovered stone implements far deeper
in the ground than they had ever encountered before. Subsequent excavations and
studies have revealed that ancient humans were present 16,000 or more years
ago, some two to three thousand years earlier than previously allowed by
textbooks. Known as the Topper Site, it appears to be one of several sites in
the eastern U.S. producing evidence that humans were living in the western
hemisphere during the last Ice Age. 
The
Topper discovery has received national and international media attention from
CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek, The National Geographic, the New
York Times, Scientific American and Science Magazine. It is currently the
subject of a special program developed by S.C. Educational Television. The
Topper site offers an exciting opportunity to participate and experience
multi-disciplinary archaeological field work seeking answers to the fascinating
questions surrounding the early occupation of the Americas. Come one, come all
and be an excavation team member of this important project!TOPPER SITE PUBLICATIONS & PRESS RELEASES
TOPPER SITE VIRTUAL MUSEUM
2008 TOPPER EXPEDITION REGISTRATION
SOUTHEASTERN PALEOAMERICAN SURVEY
2005 CLOVIS IN THE SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE
is a field program where members of the public can register for a week, or more, and help excavate one of North America's most ancient archaeological sites associated with several prehistoric chert quarries.
Team Members learn about excavation techniques and artifact identification. The Expedition also provides a challenging and diverse excavation experience for undergraduate and graduate students.
The Expedition is planning to go back to the Topper site in
2008 for five weeks from May 5th - June 7th. A significant Clovis horizon was
identified and excavated in the 2003 - 2007 field seasons. In 2008, the
Expedition will continue exploring the Clovis and preClovis occupations at
Topper. The 2008 Expedition will concentrate on the Clovis occupation on the hillside. The preClovis excavation will focus on the deeper pleistocene terrace deposits down to the 50,000 year level.
More information about previous field seasons at Topper is available in the Legacy newsletter, published by the SC Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina.
Dr. Albert Goodyear SC Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology University of South Carolina 1321 Pendleton St., Columbia, SC 29208 803-777-8170 - Email: goodyear@sc.edu (Make checks and money orders payable to USC Ed. Foundation, Allendale) Registation questions should be directed to Becky Barrera at 803-629-8929 Email: sepaleo@sc.edu In 2008 Excavation Team Members should plan to arrive on Sunday afternoon as field operations begin on Monday. Campers may begin check-in at the Picnic Shelter anytime after noon on Sunday. Click here to download and print out a complete Expedition information package. Click here to view a regional map of the Expedition area. |
  |