A Southern Microcosm: Historic Sites Investigations in the Richard B. Russell Multiple Resource Area

In conjunction with the development of the Richard B. Russell Dam and Lake, Georgia and South Carolina, historical and archaeological investigations were conducted at five historic farm sites; the Clinkscales site (38AB287), the Gray Site (9EB45), the Harper Site (38!B21), the McCalla I Site (38AB78), and the McCalla II Site (38AB67). The Gray site is located in Elbert County, Georgia. The others are located in Abbeville County, South Carolina. The four families who lived at these sites represent four separate socioeconomic classes-black small farmer, white small farmer, "average" white planter, and white large-scale planter. It was determined through intensive surveys of each site that a possible direct correlation exists between the socioeconomic status of the primary site occupants and the intra site patterning observed at each site. A model for determining socioeconomic status based upon the degree to which a site possesses patterning that is either nucleated or dispersed was proposed. In addition, excavations at three of the house sites (Clinkscales, Harper and McCalla I) were used as the basis for an analysis of artifact patterning studies based on frequency variation. It was determined that a number of factors, both historical and archaeological, can ultimately affect the utility of artifact patterning studies. These factors include, among others, how a building was destroyed, whether salvage took place, the length of time since a site was created, how an archaeologist classifies artifacts, and how much of a site is excavated. For the results of artifacts patterning studies to be considered valid, these factors must be controlled.