Daniel Prince
Students are coming from SC State, Benedict College, USC Lancaster, and USC Columbia
This week, six students from SC State, Benedict College, USC Lancaster, and USC Columbia are at the Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site getting hands-on archaeology experience thanks to a field school that was originally launched by faculty at SC State for students at historically black colleges and universities. The public is invited to stop by this week as the archaeology work is conducted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through this Friday, March 17, weather permitting.
The vast majority of people who lived and worked at Rose Hill throughout its history have been African American. During the current excavations, a team of archaeologists from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (SCPRT) and the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA), are looking for artifacts to help better tell their stories.
Park Interpreter Stephanie Cohen says the work will “help Rose Hill tell a more inclusive history,” noting that what is found will provide a “tangible connection to African American families who lived here.”
Members and descendants of those families have shared memories and family histories with Rose Hill staff to help SCPRT better understand and interpret the site’s history. Park Manager Nate Johnson said, “Networking with the local community and people whose families once lived here is some of the most important work that Rose Hill does. We are excited that students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in South Carolina are joining us in this work.”
Dr. Alison McLetchie, Assistant Professor at SC State, launched the HBCU field school two years ago because anthropology and archaeology disciplines generally are not offered in HBCUs. Stacey Young, SCPRT Archaeologist, is leading the fieldwork along with Dr. Kelly Goldberg, anthropology instructor and director of the Public Heritage Lab at USC. As part of the program, the student’s lodging, food, and equipment expenses are being covered by SCPRT and USC.
Rose Hill’s evocative history earned it a place on the National Park Service Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, which connects diverse sites to tell the story of what happened in this nation after the Civil War and emancipation. The park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and grounds admission is always free. House and guided grounds tours are available Friday-Monday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m., and Thursdays at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and cost $10 for adults; $6 for SC Seniors; and $5 for children ages 6-15. Children 5 and under are free.