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!


2009 TOPPER EXPEDITION REGISTRATION

TOPPER SITE EXPEDITION INFORMATION PACKAGE

TOPPER SITE PUBLICATIONS & PRESS RELEASES

TOPPER SITE VIRTUAL MUSEUM

SOUTHEASTERN PALEOAMERICAN SURVEY

2005 CLOVIS IN THE SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE

The Allendale Paleoamerican Expedition

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 going back to the Topper site in 2009 for five weeks from May 4th - June 6th.

The 2009 Expedition will concentrate on the Clovis occupation on the hillside and the pre-Clovis excavation will again focus on the deeper Pleistocene terrace deposits down to the 50,000 year level. Also, in conjuction with SCIAA's underwater team, the dredging operation at the Big Pine Tree site will continue during weeks 1 and 2.

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.