Scientists study slave settlement

Archaeologists' dig at Cumberland Island site unearths significant part of Georgia history

Web posted June 29, 1999

By Gordon Jackson
Morris News Service

CUMBERLAND ISLAND, Ga. -- A group of 27 chimneys jutting from the ground like monoliths are the only visible evidence of a slave community that once thrived on Cumberland Island.

As many as 300 slaves lived in the community until they were freed at the end of the Civil War, but much of what is known about the life of blacks on the island has not been documented.

An archaeological dig in the past six weeks at the site called The Chimneys, however, has revealed a wealth of information to researchers. In fact, archaeologists say the site is one of the most significant and well-preserved slave settlements anywhere.

``It's very unusual to find a site in this good of a state,'' said David Brewer, an archaeologist with the National Park Service. ``This is one of the best unexcavated sites in the world.''

The main goal for the archaeologists is preserving the chimneys, but they had to dig first to check out the land surrounding the structures.

The property has been held by private landowners for years and has not been disturbed by any development. It has been under the protection of the National Park Service since the island was declared a national seashore in 1972.

``You just don't find a site like this anymore,'' said John Cornelison Jr., a park service archaeologist.

Despite only digging around five of the 27 chimneys because of limited funding, the project has answered many questions about life on the island among slaves, researchers said.

For instance, the archaeologists uncovered evidence that the slaves were segregated by marital status and gender - with married couples living in one part of the village, single men in another area and single women in another.

The dig also revealed the slaves' quarters were segregated by job skills as well, with overseers living in different areas from laborers or craftsmen.

A large number of gun flints found at the site indicate the slaves had weapons so they could hunt for food on the island, Mr. Cornelison said. A large number of buttons from military uniforms found show the slaves wore surplus uniforms as clothing, he said.

Researchers could also determine much about life in the village by what they didn't find.

``We found no manacles or anything else ,'' Mr. Cornelison said. ``We generally believe Robert Stafford treated his slaves pretty good, as good as you can treat somebody you are holding against their will.''

Of course, there weren't many places for slaves to go on the island and they had little or no contact with the outside world, Mr. Cornelison said.

The researchers also have been able to dispel a rumor that Mr. Stafford, who grew cotton on the island, burned down the slaves' cabins in anger after the Civil War ended.

There is no evidence of ashes indicating the cabins had been burned.

Mr. Stafford was born on the island in 1790 and lived there until he died in 1877. He inherited the land from his father, Thomas Stafford, who settled on the island prior to 1783, said John Mitchell, museum curator for the Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum.

There is no reference to the area being called The Chimneys until after the island was designated a national seashore, which indicates the name was likely coined by the park service, Mr. Mitchell said.

Other items found at the site include pipe stems, hand-painted marbles, bottles, ornate pottery shards, an 1819 half dollar, fishing weights, a metal lice comb, a broach and an earring.