Native Peoples of South Carolina Today Today, over 5,000 Indians are concentrated in five communities around the state. These people are the remnants of a thriving native population that has been nearly destroyed by war, disease and resettlement during the last 500 years. How We Learn About Prehistoric Indians Prehistoric Indians left no written record. They did leave remains of objects they used and food they ate. By studying this evidence, archaeologists can create an image of Indian life.
Archaeologists gather information by excavating artifacts and features left by past cultures.
Using information from previous research, archaeologists interpret sites by studying the artifacts and their relation to each other in the ground. They take notes as every inch of soil is excavated. These observations, along with maps and photographs, are scientifically more important than objects. Artifacts and other clues can tell us about the past only if they are collected in a controlled, scientific way. Without good records artifacts are like a jigsaw puzzle with key pieces lost.