“Identifying South Island John Doe, and the Archaeology of a Gullah Geechee Fishing Village: An Osteobiography”
Jodi A. Barnes, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

In 2017, the storm surge and high tides from Hurricane Irma uncovered a human skeleton near a Gullah Geechee Fishing Village site in Georgetown County, South Carolina. Dr. Barnes will provide an overview of the efforts to identify South Island John Doe and excavate the late 19th to early 20th century village where he was found. Her research prioritizes community involvement and incorporates archival documents and material culture with skeletal analysis, genetic genealogy, and stable isotope analysis to create an osteobiography, or life history, of South Island John Doe. The project brings fishing into research on the archaeology of the African diaspora, while working to tell South Island John Doe’s story and hopefully say his name.

Presented in person and virtually. To attend via Zoom, register via this link: https://bit.ly/3wnrbhs