Artifacts from the Sites of Three Nineteenth Century Houses and Ditches at Darien Bluff, Georgia

Scotch Presbyterians came to Oglethorpe's new colony of Georgia in 1735 and established New Inverness at the mouth of the Altamaha River. This settlement eventually became the city of Darien, which flourished as a small port for the shipment of native products such as turpentine and shingles. The artifacts discussed in this report represent the refuse from three house sites and three associated ditches located on the outskirts of Darien near the bluffs on the north shore of the Darien River. (Fig. 1) They are significant in showing a background of prosperous, if not luxurious, middle class habitation during the first half of the nineteenth century. They illustrate in abundance the mercantile successes of the English pottery industry and point up the extent to which their wares reached the smaller localities in America. They suggest, too, that Darien, for its size, and that its inhabitants enjoyed the good things of life, at least as much as prospering householders did in more northerly ports. The material has a secondary significance in being typical of early nineteenth century artifacts, and it is hope that this report will serve as a guide for those who encounter similar sites elsewhere.