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2014
Meetings
November
Speaker: Dr. Robert Milling
Topic: "The Kershaw County Indian Mounds: 1953."
Dr. Robert Milling
is a native of Greenwood and grew up in Columbia. He received his B.S.
and M.D. from the University of South Carolina. His distinguished
career in the field of Psychiatry spans service in the military,
education, and private sectors. He has seven daughters and is now
retired. Dr. Milling has an avid interest in history and is currently
the vice president of USC’s Caroliniana Library. He is also a Rotarian
and a member of Trinity Cathedral Parish.
From the Columbia Star:
By Warner M. Montgomery, Ph.D
Footsteps
of the Lady of Cofitachequi echoed through the room as Dr. Robert
Milling, a distinguished psychiatrist and explorer, told how, in 1540,
the Lady welcomed Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto to her town in what
is now Kershaw County. In the center of her prosperous community was a
manmade mound topped by a temple containing graves and decorated with
shells and pearls...but not the gold and silver the conquistador was
seeking.
The elegant and powerful woman then deceptively led de
Soto away to protect her chiefdom. When the heavily armed procession
reached the Mississippi River, the Lady of Cofitachequi slipped away
and returned home.
By the time South Carolina was settled, only
the legend of the Lady of Cofitachequi remained. Her town and her
people had disappeared, possibly victims of slavers, tribal warfare, or
European disease.
Dr. Milling said the “supposed riches” of
Cofitachequi have attracted archeologists over the years. One of the
first was a Smithsonian Institution surveyor in 1848 who found and
measured the Kershaw County mound. He was followed after World War II
by University of Georgia archaeologists Dr. A.R. Kelly and Dr. Joe
Caldwell.
Then, surprisingly, Dr. Milling’s slides went blank! Why?
Laws
were passed at the national and state level in the 1990s to protect
Native American cultural items because of grave robbers and unethical
scholars. Human remains, funerary objects, and sacred objects are now
protected. Vandalism of and theft from archaeological sites, and
trafficking of archaeological remains were made criminal offenses with
penalties of 12 months imprisonment and a $100,000 fine.
Also
protected are prehistoric sites such as rock shelters, caves, rock art,
rock alignments, earthen mounds, earthen middens, mound complexes,
ceremonial centers, shell mounds, middens, refuse pits, burial pits,
and graves.
October
Speaker: Dean Hunt, Dr. Jon Leader, and David Brinkman
Topic: "Fort Congaree II – The history. The search. The archaeology."
About the topic:
Fort Congaree II – The history. The search. The archaeology.
In
1748, in response to deadly Indian attacks against the first South
Carolina backcountry settlers, the palisaded British outpost Fort
Congaree II was built. Its location was two miles north of the old Fort
Congaree I at an established Indian crossing just below the fall line
on the Congaree River. Fort Congaree II would serve its initial purpose
of protecting early European settlers and, around 1761, became the
launching ground for attacks against the Cherokee in the French-Indian
War. During this time, it was also the training ground for young men
who would later become heroes of the American Revolution. Among them:
Francis Marion, John and William Moultrie, Isaac Huger, and Andrew
Pickens. From Dr. Dan Tortora's "Fort Congaree II": "Fort Congaree II
played a vital role in the history of the Midlands of South Carolina.
It was built at a time of rapid growth and settlement in the area. It
commanded a strategic position at an important crossroads: at the
intersection of the Congaree River, the Cherokee Path and the northern
limits of Saxe Gotha Town (Saxe Gotha was the first backcountry
settlement of South Carolina up from Charlestown). In peacetime, Fort
Congaree II's garrison bustled with activity. Farmers and merchants,
African slaves, indentured servants, Catawba Indians, local settlers,
and ministers visited often. Soldiers and settlers worshipped together,
conducted business, and even married each other. The fort protected
upcountry settlers from Indian attacks and gave them peace of mind. It
helped South Carolina support the struggling but loyal Catawba Nation.
Its soldiers left their wives and children behind and participated in
the opening battle of the French and Indian War. The fort's first
commander, Lieutenant Peter Mercier, made the ultimate sacrifice to the
British cause when he gave his life to protect Lieutenant Colonel
George Washington at the attack at Fort Necessity in 1754. The story of
Fort Congaree II offers a glimpse into an oft-forgotten chapter in the
history of Colonial America."
Come join us for this talk as
historian Dean Hunt will take us through the history of this forgotten
Fort. David Brinkman will then cover the evidence that pin-points the
Fort's location. Dr. Jon Leader will then discuss the Archaeology work
that has been completed over the summer in the Fort Congaree II Flag
Expedition dig. We will also have photos of the dig including period
artifacts that have been found by participating members and friends of
the Explorers Club.
About the speakers:
Dean
Hunt is a historian, teacher, and history tour guide. He graduated from
the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in History and Geography
and an M.Ed. in History. He served in the United States Air Force
in Iraq during the Gulf War. Mr. Hunt is an active history tour guide
and an expert on Lexington County history where he has served as the
President of the Saxe Gotha Historical Society. He is also the project
historian and a primary digger for both the Granby and Fort Congaree II
dig projects.
Dr.
Jonathan Leader is the State Archaeologist for South Carolina and is
located at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He received his
PhD from the University of Florida, Gainesville. In the course of his
career he has engaged in consultations on four continents and the
islands of the western Pacific. Dr. Leader is an elected fellow of a
number of international learned societies and the Explorers Club where
he is a past Chair of the Greater Piedmont Chapter and a member of the
National Flag and Honors Committee.
David Brinkman is the
current Chair of the Greater Piedmont Chapter of the Explorers Club.
David was born in Myrtle Beach, SC but has spent most of his life in
Columbia. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a
B.S. in Computer and Electrical Engineering and from Midlands Technical
College with an A.S. in Electronics Technology Engineering. For over 25
years, he has work as a software engineer for NCR, AT&T, and Intel
Corporations. He current serves on the Industry Advisory Board of
Midlands Technical College. David is also the project leader over the
Granby and Fort Congaree II dig projects.
September
Speaker: Kirstin Dow, PhD
Topic: "Climate change impacts and adaptation in the Carolinas"
Dr. Kirstin Dow
is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of
South Carolina. She has also been a Senior Research Fellow at the
Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Stockholm, Sweden. She received
her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and
then her M.A. and Ph.D. at Clark University. Dr. Dow is a social
environmental geographer focusing on understanding climate impacts,
vulnerability and adaptation. She is on the Intergovernmental Panel for
the Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report where she is a lead author
for the report’s chapter on adaptation, opportunities, constraints and
limits. Dr. Dow serves as principal investigator of the Carolinas
Integrated Sciences and Assessments, an interdisciplinary research team
that bridges climate science and decision making. In 2007, she
co-authored (with Thomas E. Downing) the book "The Atlas of Climate
Change" which received the "Book of the year" award in the
Environment Category. Dr. Dow will be talking to our Explorers Club
group about how climate change has and will affect us in the Carolinas.
You can find more about Dr. Dow's work at www.cisa.sc.edu .
In another related project, the site: www.vcapsforplanning.org covers research and ideas to help communities think about their climate adaptation issues.
July
Speaker: Tim Kana PhD PG
Topic: "The Physical Condition of SC Beaches and Practical Approaches for Beach Preservation"
South
Carolina has 187 miles of ocean beaches of which 98 miles are developed
or accessible parks. The remaining are wilderness beaches with no
vehicle access. Contrary to conventional wisdom, many of our
beaches are healthy for a variety of reasons and in better condition
than 30 years ago. This presentation will describe the physical
processes and primary factors that mold and shape the SC coast and make
it quite different than the Outer Banks of North Carolina or the east
coast of Florida. Tim will discuss the impact of sea level rise, storms
and sand supply, and illustrate how some communities on our coast have
dealt effectively with erosion using soft engineering methods.
About our speaker:
Dr. Kana
is founder and president of Coastal Science & Engineering based in
Columbia (SC). He is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins
University and received his PhD in Geology-Coastal Processes from the
University of South Carolina. Kana has 30 years experience in coastal
erosion projects and has written over 250 reports and publications
relating to causes of erosion, beaches and tidal inlets, sand budgets,
beach nourishment, impacts of sea-level rise, and coastal zone
management. His coastal studies are cited by the National Academy
of Sciences and incorporated into US Army Corps of Engineers Design
Manuals. Kana is also Adjunct Professor in the Dept of Earth and Ocean
Sciences at USC. (www.coastalscience.com.)
June
Speakers: Larry Fernandez and Marshall Fields
Topic: "Great Whites and Tigers - Oh My! Diving with the Apex Predators of the Shark World"
Larry Fernandez and Marshall Fields shared, in words, photos and video, their recent excursions to Guadalupe
Island, Mexico and Tiger Beach, Grand Bahamas. These experienced
shark divers had the adventure of a lifetime, diving with two of
the largest and most misunderstood predators of the sea, Great White
and Tiger sharks. These endangered species can attain 20 feet in
length and weigh several tons. For the majority of the dives,
Larry and Marshall dove out of the cage to fully experience the power
and inquisitive nature of these remarkable creatures.
The
Wateree Dive Center has dive classes going on a regular basis. Larry
Fernandez is scuba instructor at Wateree Dive Center in Columbia,
SC. In his 15 years of diving and 7 years of teaching, Larry has
logged nearly 800 dives.
If you are interested in the dive classes, please check out the Wateree Dive Center web site at: http://www.watereescuba.com
From the Columbia Star:
By Warner M. Montgomery, Ph.D
The
June meeting of the Greater Piedmont Chapter of The Explorers Club met
at the Capital City Club. Larry Fernandez (scuba instructor at Wateree
Dive Center) and Marshall Fields spoke on “Diving with Predators of the
Shark World.”
These experienced divers told of their recent
dives with the largest predators of the sea, Great White and Tiger
sharks (20 feet long and weighing several tons) at Guadalupe Island,
Mexico, and Tiger Beach, Grand Bahamas. These brave men dove out of
cage into waters with the sharks to fully experience the power and
inquisitive nature of these remarkable creatures.
May
Speaker: Robert G. Kiger, M.D MN'14
Topic: "The Wizard, A Man History Almost Forgot."
Robert G. Kiger, M.D.
is a retired cardiologist living in Camden, S.C. Originally from
Nashville, Tennessee, he graduated from the University of South
Carolina in 1954 and from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in
1958. After his cardiology training, he was a physician at the
NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center involved as Chief of
Preventive Medicine and the Cardiopulmonary Laboratory. His activities
include evaluation of oxygen requirement for various astronaut
maneuvers during space activities, working with members of Apollo 13.
He personally had professional and social activities with Dr. Wehrner
von Braun. Bob is a recent elected member to TEC and will present a
slide/lecture on Nikola Tesla and how he was introduced to the facts of
Tesla at NASA. The title of his presentation: The Wizard, A Man History Almost Forgot.
Below: Nikola Tesla, aged 34, 1890, photo by Napoleon Sarony. 
April
Speaker: Bill Newton, M.D. ME'78
Topic: "Afghanistan 1978, The Last Day of Peace."
Since 1979 Bill Newton,
M.D. has been an Explorers Club member. He lives in Southern Pines,
N.C. about one hour’s drive from Marlboro County, S.C. where he was
born. After finishing public schools in Bennettsville, S.C. he went on
to graduate form The Citadel and MUSC. His post graduate work took
place at MUSC and University of California, Irvive. Practicing
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery allowed him to take multiple
overseas missions to developing countries. One such trip was the
CARE/MEDICO mission to Afghanistan in April 1978. Dr. Newton’s wife is
Deirdre Dundas Newton. He retired from the US Army as a Colonel. The
presentation entitled “Afghanistan 1978, The Last Day of Peace” took club members back to a period far different from the Afghanistan of today.
Much of the program included images captured by Dr. Newton.
From the Columbia Star:
The last day of peace in Afghanistan
By Warner M. Montgomery, Ph.D.
Dr.
Bill Newton, graduate of The Citadel and MUSC, retired US Army colonel
who served in Vietnam, and now a resident of Southern Pines, N.C.,
spoke to the Greater Piedmont Chapter of The Explorers Club April 11.
His skills in plastic and reconstructive surgery have taken him to many
developing countries.
His presentation was on a CARE/MEDICO
mission to Afghanistan in 1978. That was a year of war and chaos that
ended the Afghan Golden Age and allowed the Soviet Union to invade the
country. Dr. Newton’s purpose, known as Operation Smile, was to perform
corrective surgery on those disfigured by the increasing hostility.
Above:
Dr. Newton (l) and his wife Deirdre are congratulated by David Brinkman
(r), chairman of Greater Piedmont Chapter of The Explorers Club.
March
Speaker: Frank Knowlton MN'14
Topic: "The 7th Seventh Summit"
Frank's was about his climb of Mont Blanc last summer. The French
consider Mont Blanc to be the real Seventh Summit and not Russia’s Mt
Erbrus. Though close in size, the French (in particular, and
alpinists in general) consider Mont Blanc to be a far more difficult
climb. It is the highest mountain in the Alps and is located in the
heart of Europe as opposed to Mt Erbrus. Frank will take us
through his adventure on Mont Blanc.
About the speaker:
Frank Knowlton received a B.A. in History from Washington & Lee University (1977-81) and while there wrote
numerous
articles and papers on Archaeological Field Research. In 1984, he
received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina
School of Law. In his law career, he has been recognized by several
editions of "The Best Lawyers in America" and as a “Midlands 2011 and
2013 Legal Elite” by the Columbia Business Monthly magazine.
From the Columbia Star:
Explorers learn the dead teach the living
By Warner M. Montgomery, Ph.D.
Attorney climbs Mont Blanc
Frank
Knowlton, a USC Law School graduate and partner in the Nelson Mullins
Riley & Scarborough Law Firm, is recognized as one of the “Best
Lawyers in America” and one of “South Carolina’s Super Lawyers.” Last
Friday he threw off his legal robes to tell the Greater Piedmont
Chapter of The Explorers Club how he conquered the world’s deadliest
mountains and lived to tell about it.
Mont Blanc, the tallest
mountain in Europe (15,780 feet), has the highest fatality rate of any
mountain in Europe killing an average of 100 hikers a year. It is not
considered a difficult mountain to climb, just a long walk requiring
crampons (metal spikes affixed to a boot) and ice axes to summit.
So
why the high death rate? European tour companies advertise that anyone
in good physical condition can reach the summit with no previous
climbing experience; so over 20,000 inexperienced climbers sign up
relying on the expertise of climbing guides to get them up and down the
mountain safely. Knowing Mont Blanc’s reputation, however, our brave
lawyer practiced on Mt.Mitchell (6,684 feet, the highest peak in the
eastern US) and Mt. Rainier (14,411 feet, one of the most dangerous
volcanoes in the world).
Altitude sickness, the dreaded enemy to
mountain climbers caused by the lack of oxygen above 8,000 feet, can
produce headaches, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, and even
pulmonary edema which is potentially fatal. An oral drug, Diamox, is
taken by some climbers to counteract the sickness. The other
recommended remedy (beside Tylenol) is to climb down as quickly as
possible when it hits! Needless to say, Brave Frank chose neither.
Months before his climb on Mont Blanc, he worked out almost daily, ran
and hiked every weekend, got in good physical condition, then flew to
Switzerland and hired a guide.
The climb was highly organized.
Six climbers followed two experienced guides through three days of
acclimation including time spent sleeping in high mountain huts. They
spent time practicing skills for using ice axes, crampons, and rope.
Climbers
were allowed a bare minimum of equipment: jacket, beanie, helmet,
gloves, rucksack, ice Axe, crampons, harness, sunglasses, head
flashlight, rope, climbing hardware, sun block, water bottle, snacks,
map, and a compass. Frank took his cell phone and produced photos used
with this article.
Frank’s six-man group conquered the mountain
in eight days stopping at three huts. Frank experienced no ill effects,
but one member of his group had to be sent back.
When a fellow
climber took off his helmet and engaged Frank in a conversation about
the beauty of being on top of the world, Frank replied, “You keep
talking, I’ll breathe.”
Our ever-fit, ever-ambitious new member
of the Explorers Club is now planning his next climb. The top seven
summits are Mt. Everest ( Nepal), Aconcagua (Argentina), Mount McKinley
(US), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Mount Elbrus (Russia), Mount Vinson
(Antarctica), and Puncak Jaya (Indonesia). Mt. Everest? Perhaps, but
that adventure requires three months preparation and $100,000.
 Above:
Frank Knowlton (c) is congratulated by David Brinkman (r), chairman of
the Piedmont Chapter of The Explorers Club, and Robert Kiger, M.D. (l),
retired cardiologist who served at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
under Wernher von Braun.
February
Speaker: Dr. Steven D. Smith
Topic: "The Siege of Fort Motte, South Carolina."
Fort
Motte, in Calhoun County, South Carolina, was Mrs. Rebecca Motte’s
plantation home, fortified by the British in the early Spring of 1781.
Located on a high prominence overlooking the Congaree River, the
fort served as a depot for British supply convoys between Charleston
and Camden during the American Revolution. Brigadier General
Francis Marion and Lieutenant Colonel Henry Lee surrounded the fort and
captured it in a six day siege in May 1781. The fort’s capture
was a significant event in the “War of Posts’ that broke the British
hold on the South Carolina backcountry. Steve will describe the
historical and archaeological finds from excavations conducted at the
fort since 2005, along with general observations on the life and
campaigns of Francis Marion.
About the speaker:
Dr. Steven
D. Smith is a Research Associate Professor and the Associate Director
of the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology,
University of South Carolina. He has a B.A. in history from the
Virginia Military Institute, an M.A. from the University of
Kentucky, and Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. His
dissertation topic was Francis Marion’s partisans at Snow’s Island,
South Carolina. As a research archaeologist and historian, Steve
has conducted archaeological investigations at Revolutionary War
battlefields including Camden, Blackstocks, Williamson’s Plantation,
Fort Balfour, Fort Motte, and Civil War battlefields at Folly Island,
Honey Hill, and River’s Bridge. He has written and published
extensively on American military history and military sites
archaeology.
January
Speaker: Dr. Jonathan Leader FN'05
Topic: "Mortui Vivos Docent - The Dead Teach the Living: forensic archaeology in the 21st century."
The
Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) has been involved since its
inception in 1963 with forensic archaeological recovery. South
Carolina's steady growth and development of the historic landscape has
from time to time impinged on burials and cemeteries from all time
periods and all cultures. Approximately 100 consultations occur every
year.
In 1999, the OSA involvement moved to a much higher
level that has continued to the present. This was the result of the
South Carolina legislature recognizing the previous work done and that
the Institute needed more advanced equipment to properly accomplish its
legal mandates. Several remote sensing packages were funded; ground
penetrating radar, resistivity, satellite GPS near geodetic surveying
equipment and gradiometer for OSA and a side scan sonar, sub bottom
profiler, and magnetometer for the Maritime Research Division (MRD). A
provision was added to the funding bill that seconded both OSA and MRD
to the State Law Enforcement Division to assist in search and forensic
analyses.
The effect on the OSA was immediate. There have been
quite a few high profile cases. In very rapid succession, OSA was
contacted by the law enforcement agencies involved and asked to help.
To date, the OSA has assisted, consulted with, or acted in support of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement
Administration, US Army Counter Terrorism Task Force, US Marine Corps,
US Navy Criminal Investigations Unit, the SC State Law Enforcement
Division, allied foreign governments and quite a few South Carolina
county sheriffs, county coroners, medical examiners, and city police
departments. The sensitive or ongoing nature of many of these
activities rarely permits general publication for legal reasons.
About the speaker:
Dr.
Jonathan Leader is the State Archaeologist for South Carolina and is
located at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He received his
PhD from the University of Florida, Gainesville. In the course of his
career he has engaged in consultations on four continents and the
islands of the western Pacific. Dr. Leader is an elected fellow of a
number of international learned societies and the Explorers Club where
he is a past Chair of the Greater Piedmont Chapter and a member of
the National Flag and Honors Committee.
 Above: Dr. Jon Leader
From the Columbia Star:
Explorers learn the dead teach the living
By Warner M. Montgomery, Ph.D.
The
monthly meeting of the Greater Piedmont Chapter of The Explorers Club
met at the Capital City Club January 17. Chapter Chairman David
Brinkman announced the topic for the meeting was related to the
Explorers Club initiative of “furthering the field of exploration
through the innovative use of technology.”
The speaker was Dr.
Jonathan Leader, former chapter chairman, who received his Ph.D. from
the University of Florida, and is currently the S.C. state
archaeologist. His uses of technology include remote sensing,
geographic information system (GIS), archaeometry, and
archaeometallurgy. His current research involves the H.L. Hunley
project, the S.C. Cannons project, The Bahamas projects, the Florence
Stockade, and the S. C. Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology’s
Digitized Publications project.
Leader walked his fellow
explorers through a basic understanding of “forensic archaeological
recovery” which involves gathering information which will determine the
cause, manner, and location of a death. However, (and Leader emphasized
this repeatedly) the final cause of death is determined by coroners,
medical examiners, or courts not by the forensic scientist who acts
only as an expert witness. Specifically, the forensic archaeologist (
i. e. Dr. Leader) is responsible for recovering information that is as
accurate and as complete as humanly possible.
Dr. Leader explained the scientific processes citing cases he has been involved in:
1. Body dies and is left in nature.
2. Decomposition of the body begins.
3.
Body is affected by moisture, temperature, scavengers, chemical
reactions, micro-organisms, and enzymes which change tissue into fluids.
4. The environment is changed by heat, chemicals, and by- products which are released into the soil
An interesting process that is often shown in TV detective shows is the succession of insects attracted to the corpse:
Blow
flies appear on the fresh corpse during the first three months, then
beetles are drawn to the rancid fats for the next three months. Between
four and eight months, other flies and beetles are drawn to the ammonia
fermentation. At six months, mites appear. Over the next three years
more beetles will feast on the remains. Gross but accurate...making
scientific analysis possible.
Our bearer of inevitable truth, Dr. Leader, closed with a quote from Mark Twain:
“There's
one thing in this world which a person won’t take inpineifhe can go
walnut; and won’t take in walnut if he can go mahogany; and won’t take
in mahogany if he can go in an iron casket with silver door- plate and
bronze handles. That’s a coffin. And there’s one thing in this world
which you don't have to worry around after a person to get him to pay
for. And that’s a coffin.”
The Explorers Club, founded in New
York City in 1904, promotes the scientific exploration of land, sea,
air, and space by supporting research and education in the physical,
natural, and biological sciences. Club members have been first to the
North Pole, first to the South Pole, first to the summit of Mount
Everest, first to the deepest point in the ocean, and first to the
surface of the moon.
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