Archaeological Field School at Fort Hill

For the second consecutive summer, a group of Clemson students is digging up a part of the university's past as a part of the six-week archaeological field school. Visiting lecturer David Markus is leading the charge to uncover the history of the enslaved persons at Fort Hill. Students and faculty hope that this site at the heart of Clemson's campus will help to tell the stories of the men, women and children who lived and worked for the Calhoun and Clemson families during the antebellum period. The goal of the field school has always been to locate outbuildings, such as the spin house/weave room, laundry, smoke house and eventually the domestic residence for an African American cook in the long term. In the first two years of the project, students hit the foundation footings and uncovered a number of artifacts. This summer, a number of pillars have been unearthed to help determine the exact location and layout of the outbuildings.