Book Description

Between May-September 2004, Brockington and Associates, Inc., conducted monitoring, excavations, and on-site relocation of graves from Johnson Hagood Stadium, site 38CH1648. The site contains at least three historic cemeteries. The Area of Project Effect (APE) is a fenced area on the west side of Johnson Hagood Stadium. This area will be impacted by ground disturbing activities during the construction of a new stadium at this location. Identification of graves was conducted through backhoe trenching in selected areas of the site, and monitoring of mechanical soil removal during the early phases of construction. Mechanical scrapes revealed a total of 354 coffin-shaped features, oriented in an generally east-west direction within 38CH1648. Each feature was cleared and excavated with shovels and trowels by archaeologists. Of the 354 excavated features, 341 contained evidence (e.g., decomposed coffin, coffin hardware, grave goods, and/or human skeletal remains) of human graves. Skeletal remains, artifacts, and coffin fill from each grave were retained in newly constructed wooden boxes for each grave. Thirteen of the excavated features contained no artifacts or skeletal remains, and were determined after excavation not to be burials. All remains and artifacts will be reburied on the campus of The Citadel. The removal of graves was conducted in consultation with the Charleston County Coroner's Office.