Archaeologists discover part of Mitchelville during airport expansion

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC (WTOC) - Tuesday, during the tree clearing phase of the Hilton Head Airport Expansion Project, archaeologists discovered part of the Mitchelville settlement. Mitchelville was established as a freedmen's town in 1862 near the present day Beach City Road. It was established by Union General Ormsby Mitchel to be a self-governing town for recently freed slaves during the war.

"That's what we found, bits of their houses, the pottery, the ceramics, the bottled glass, all the things you find in everyday life. Those are the kinds of normal things that we found," said Scott Butler, archaeologist, Brockington.

The assessment team will send their findings to the South Carolina Historical Preservation Society later this week.

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