Fig Island facts for kids

Fig Island, also known as 38CH42, is an important archaeological site in South Carolina. It is located on the Atlantic Coast. The site has three special structures called shell rings.

Shell rings are like giant, curved piles of shells. They form a circle or part of a circle around an empty space, which is called a plaza. Fig Island has one of the biggest and most complicated shell rings in North America. It also has one of the best-preserved circular shell rings.

Ancient Homes by the Sea

More than 30 shell ring sites have been found along the Atlantic coast. They stretch from South Carolina all the way to Florida. Most of these sites are very old, dating back between 4,500 and 3,000 years ago.

The shell rings at Fig Island were built and used between 4,400 and 3,600 years ago. This makes them a fascinating look into ancient life.

Fig Island's Location Then and Now

Fig Island is surrounded by a salt marsh. It sits on a piece of land that sticks out from Edisto Island along the North Edisto River. When the shell rings were built, the sea level was lower. The land around Fig Island was probably drier back then. It might have even connected Fig Island to Edisto Island.

Over thousands of years, the sea level has risen. This caused the marsh to grow and cover much of the old dry land. The three Fig Island rings together cover a large area, about 300 by 275 meters.

The Amazing Shell Rings

Fig Island has three main shell rings, each with its own unique features. They are called Fig Island 1, Fig Island 2, and Fig Island 3.

Fig Island 1: The Giant Ring

Fig Island 1 is a huge and complex shell ring. It might be the largest and most complicated one in North America. The main part of this ring can be as tall as six meters (about 20 feet). Its base is about 40 meters wide.

This main ring has at least five smaller rings attached to it. One of these smaller rings is even inside another ring! There's also a nearby shell mound connected to the main ring by a shell path or ramp. People who live nearby once thought a strange spot at the top of the main ring was a Civil War gun spot.

Like other shell rings, the open spaces inside the rings (the "plazas") have very few shells or signs of daily life. This suggests people didn't live right in the middle. Archaeologists believe this huge ring complex contains about 22,114 cubic meters of shells. Fig Island 1 was used between 4,000 and 3,500 years ago.

Later Discoveries at Fig Island 1

Some of the newest dates from Fig Island come from one of the small rings attached to Fig Island 1. These dates are much later than those for Fig Island 2 and 3. More artifacts (old objects) were found in this attached ring than anywhere else on Fig Island. This suggests that this specific attached ring might have been used later, and perhaps for a different purpose.

Fig Island 2: The Perfect Circle

Fig Island 2 is very round, almost like a perfect circle. It is in excellent condition. There's a ramp on its north side that connects to a shell path. This path leads to Fig Island 3. Today, this shell path is hidden under the marsh.

Fig Island 2 is 82 meters across. Its base is between 10 and 25 meters wide. The ring stands about one to two meters above the ground. Scientists estimate it contains about 2,178 cubic meters of shells. Fig Island 2 was used between 4,400 and 3,600 years ago.

Fig Island 3: The Half-Circle Ring

Fig Island 3 is the smallest shell ring on the island. It is shaped like a "C," or about half of a circle. There is no sign that it was ever a full circle. Half-circle rings have been found at other sites in South Carolina and Georgia.

A ramp from the center of this half-circle connects to the shell path from Fig Island 2. Pottery found in both rings, along with their dates and the connecting path, show that Fig Island 2 and 3 were used at the same time. Fig Island 3 is 49 meters across and just under 2 meters tall. It contains about 1,202 cubic meters of shells. This ring was used between 4,200 and 3,800 years ago.

Life at the Shell Rings

The pottery found at Fig Island belongs to ancient styles from the Late Archaic period. This period was about 3,000 to 5,000 years ago along the South Carolina coast. The first signs of pottery in this area appeared around 4,200 years ago.

Living in One Place

During the Late Archaic period, people living along the coast started to settle down. They became mostly "sedentary," meaning they lived in permanent villages. They would still go on short trips to find food.

Archaeologists have wondered if the shell rings were just piles of trash that grew over time around circular villages. Or, were they built on purpose as special monuments? The idea that they were monuments seems more likely. This is because other large mounds were being built in places like the Mississippi River valley around 6,000 years ago.

When archaeologists dug into the Fig Island rings, they found little evidence that people lived on the rings themselves. Instead, there were signs that large amounts of shells were quickly placed there. This suggests the rings were built intentionally.

What Did They Eat?

Even though the shell rings are huge piles of shells, the people who lived there didn't just eat shellfish. When scientists carefully studied the shell piles, they found many fish bones. This shows that people got more of their food and energy from small fish than from shellfish.

There is no evidence that the shell ring builders grew their own food. Instead, they gathered plants from nature. Nuts, fruits, and seeds have all been found at shell ring sites.

Protecting the Past

Fig Island 2 and 3 were first recognized as important and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. At that time, Fig Island 1 and other parts of the site had not yet been found. More research started in 2002. This led to the discovery of Fig Island 1 and its connected mound and path. Because of these new findings, the entire site was named a National Historic Landmark in 2007.