The Sapelo Shell Ring complex: Shallow geophysics on a Georgia sea island

The Sapelo Shell Ring complex, located on Sapelo Island, Georgia, consists of three large circular shell mounds and numerous smaller amorphous shell middens. Today, one of the rings is highly visible; however, the two other rings and the nonring middens have little surface relief and are virtually invisible. In fact, the location and very existence of the two other rings has been debated for some time. Recent geophysical survey, however, has located the subsurface remains of the two less obvious rings, as well as some of the amorphous middens. Geophysical survey data are being used to investigate the spatial distribution of the site's archaeological deposits and to evaluate appropriate geophysical techniques to use on shell-bearing sites.