Allendale, S.C.
803.777.8170
Image by Go Salkehatchie via Flickr
While excavating a prehistoric site along the Savannah River in Allendale County, S.C. in 1998, archaeologists from the University of South Carolina made a curious discovery.
They discovered stone implements far deeper in the ground than had ever been encountered before. Subsequent excavations and scientific studies revealed that ancient humans were present in the Salkehatchie region of South Carolina approximately 16,000 years ago, far earlier than previously thought.
Known as the Topper Site, this archeological treasure is one of a handful of sites in the eastern U.S. producing evidence that humans lived in the western hemisphere during the last Ice Age. Since this landmark discovery, the Topper Site has received national and international media attention from CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek, National Geographic, The New York Times, Scientific American and Science Magazine.
Image by Go Salkehatchie via Flickr
Once each year, the Topper Site in Allendale, S.C. is open to the public for a five-week period. Members of the public are welcome to help with the University of South Carolina's archaeological dig in May and June of each year.
For additional information or to register for the annual Allendale Paleoamerican Expedition, please visit
Allendale-Expedition.net.
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