Nipper Creek Heritage Preserve
Contact Information
Non-game and Heritage Trust SectionSC Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 167
Columbia, SC 29202
(803) 734-3886
Hours of Operation
Due to vandalism, the preserve is only open for pre-arranged guided tours.
Contributions to the Endangered Wildlife Fund on the South Carolina Income Tax Form help to make the identification and management of these preserves possible.
Important Information for Visitors
Photographs
Description
This archaeological preserve was occupied most heavily during the Archaic period, 8,000 B.C. to 2.000 B.C. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The value of the site lies in the stratified “layer cake” deposits, which produce information on past human lifestyles such as diet, technology, mobility and social organization.
The Nipper Creek site is interpreted by archaeologists as an “aggregation site,” where mobile hunter/gatherer groups would meet on a yearly basis to find mates and share information about mobility and hunting strategies. These aggregations were normally conducted in winter when plant and animal resources were low.
Although the area was once one of the most heavily occupied archaeological sites in South Carolina, it is not aesthetically pleasing to the human eye because all of the information is underground.