South Carolina Artifact Documentation Project

Divers have been exploring the rivers and coastal waters of South Carolina since the early 1960’s when SCUBA as a sport was in its infancy. The South Carolina State Legislature first enacted an Underwater Antiquities Bill in 1968 which was intended to protect historic shipwrecks and other submerged cultural resources.  In 1974 a Hobby Diver Program was developed that enabled divers to be licensed to recover artifacts on a limited basis while reporting finds to the State archaeologists.
The South Carolina Artifact Documentation Project endeavors to photograph and record prehistoric and historic artifacts which have been recovered in the State of South Carolina. Private individuals and professional archeologists have generously shared collections which were recorded for educational and research purposes. These pages are made possible by people from varied walks of life that have but one purpose in donating their discoveries for documentation… that the people of South Carolina may have a deeper understanding of the submerged cultural resources that have been recovered by individuals using their own finances and resources.
Many of the items listed here would have remained unknown to future generations if not for the dedication and generosity of those who have volunteered to share their collections and information with this project.
It is to these people that we owe a debt of gratitude.