USC archaeologist helps Daufuskie dig a dugout By Peggy Binette,
email@example.com, 803-777-7704 A dugout canoe that may date
back to the 18th century has been recovered on Turtle Island, a
small island south of Daufuskie Island by University of South
Carolina archaeologists and residents of the sea island. The
canoe, hewn from a single log, was discovered this summer by
Daufuskie Island resident John Hill on Turtle Island, an area
named for the sea turtles that nest there. It was partially
protruding from the marsh grass in which it was buried. “The
visible end suggested it was hewn by iron tools,” said Jim
Spirek, the state underwater archaeologist with USC’s S.C.
Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA). “Whether it
was built by historic-period Native American Indians influenced
by European designs or by Colonial settlers or from a later
period is open for speculation at this point.” Local
preservationist and marina owner William “Wick” Scurry has sent
a sample of the canoe’s wood for identificati