Archaeological Investigations at Yourhaney Plantation (38GE18)

6The rivers and marsh areas are dominated by brackish and freshwater plants such as giantcutgrass, wild rice, cat-tails, and saw grass. Birds that may have been significant during thecolonial and antebellum era would have included species such as the work stork, egret, ibis, andheron, and the ducks, primarily the wood duck. Turtles are abundant (Sandifer et al. 1980: 411).The birds mentioned by Mills included wild turkey, rice-bird, plover, curlew, wild goose, canvassbackduck, several other varieties of duck, partridges, snipe, woodcock, wild pigeon, Indian pullet,eagles, various species of hawks, owls, blackbird, blue bird, bullfinch, hummingbird, etc.. Gameanimals he mentions include deer, foxes, rabbits, raccoons, wolves, and some bears (Mills 1972:564-565).Modern natural vegetation in the immediate area of 38GE18 was the result of topography anddrainage. According to Barry (1980: 140) river bluffs in this area often contain beech, white oak,loblolly pine, mockernut hickory, and tulip-poplar. Understory species include flowering dogwood,witch hazel, musclewood, sassafras, holly, storax, spicewood, and strawberry bush. Climbing vinesoften predominate in these areas and include climbing hydrangea and poison ivy, along withtrumpet vine and Virginia creeper.Generally speaking, this portion of Georgetown County contains a large quantity of loblolly andlongleaf pine. Any hardwoods that exist are commonly sweetgum, persimmon, pgnut hickory, andmockernut hickory. Oaks include bluejack, blackjoack, turkey, post, black, southern red, laurel,and live oak. In the nearby Carolina Bays, the vegetation is typically dominated by cypress andtupelo. Understory vegetation could consist of red bay, sweet-bay magnolia, sugarberry, andAmerican elm (Barry 1980).Wild edibles that Mills mentions are wild grape, haw, fox-grape, blackberry, whortleberry, crabapple,and others. Fruits that were common during that time period were peach, plum, apricot,nectarine, fig, cherry, strawberry, grape, orange, pomegranate, as well as water and muskmelons, ground and grass nuts (Mills 1972: 565).Food items such as shellfish that were not available at the plantation could be brought in by boatsfrom Georgetown located about 30 miles down river. Otherwise, the availability of a wide rangeof wild and cultivated foods as well as wild and domesticated animals and plants provided greatvariety to the diets of the site’s inhabitants. One Georgia rice planter mentioned that:The task labor used in growing rice allowed some free time, and the practice byowners along the rice coast of encouraging slaves to have gardens, and even topermit them to hunt and fish, contributed substantially to their diet (Smith 1985:116).Although Yourhaney was not a rice plantation, the task system was commonly used throughout theSouth Carolina lowcountry (Chaplin 1993: 85-87) and it is likely that most slaves were providedtime for gardening, gathering wild plants, hunting, fishing, and trapping.