This Tiny Island Was Settled Thousands of Years Ago. It Hasn't Really Changed.

Home to 4,600-acres of natural wonderland, mysterious ancient artifacts, and Gullah Geechee history.
DISCOVER SOUTH CAROLINA JANUARY 19, 2023

Written by Elizabeth Z Pardue, Photos by Michele Zapf

Nobody knows who made the ancient pottery that washes up on St. Phillips Island, a remote 4,600-acre wonderland nestled between Beaufort, SC and Hilton Head Island. The artifacts are plentiful here, appearing along hiking trails, beaches, and the island’s only road that cuts through thick, undisturbed jungles between the marsh and the sea.

The impenetrable jungle terrain coupled with the strict conservation efforts of St. Phillips has prevented extensive archaeological examinations of the island.

The barrier islands of South Carolina’s Lowcountry have long evoked a sense of mystery that beckons intrepid travelers. However, as this area has become developed in the last century, St. Phillips Island has managed to retain its wild splendor, thanks to conservation efforts by billionaire media mogul and conservationist, Ted Turner, and The Nature Conservancy.

The South Carolina Lowcountry islands were home to the ancient, indigenous Cusabo peoples, 19 separate tribes who lived in the area between modern-day Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. Among them were the Escamacu who, according to illustrated records by early Spanish colonizers to the area, once claimed St. Helena Island just to the north and presumably St. Phillips, which lies just a creek-width away.

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https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/st-phillips-island-south-carolina