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Buzzard’s Island is one of 20 or more prehistoric shell rings located from the central coast of South Carolina to the central coast of Georgia. All are believed to date early in the second millennium BC, and they contain some of the earliest pottery known in North America. The average diameter of the ring from crest to crest is about 178 feet. The ring stands no more than 3 feet above a low wet central area which is at the level of the surrounding marsh or about 3 feet above mean sea level. The perimeter and central area are overgrown by trees. The midden is predominantly oyster shell with lesser amounts of other mollusks. Pottery sherds are common on the outside edges of the ring, which are subject to wave action during the highest tides and storms. The ring appears to be largely intact. Listed in the National Register October 15, 1970.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition, the Historic Resources of the Late Archaic-Early Woodland Period Shell Rings of South Carolina, ca. 1,000-2,200 years B.C. includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

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