The Barnwell Family Tabby Ruins

The Barnwell Family Tabby ruin has defied all odds, and stood for hundreds of years on the ever-changing landscape of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Over the last decade, the Barnwell Family has worked to preserve and protect the heritage of this mysterious archaeological site with the help of architectural historians, builders, archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, and students from several local universities. Now, it is time to build resources to help tell the incredible story this team has worked to uncover for years.

Archaeologist Dr. Katherine Seeber stands in front of a tabby building on Hilton Head Island. She is wearing a wide brimmed sun hat and field clothes pointing at an artifact stuck in the wall.
A crew of archaeologists stand inside the Barnwell Family tabby listening to Dr. Kimberly Cavanaugh of USC Bluffton talk about her work there. There are open excavation pits in the center of a tabby walled room, with a modern roof structure above the
Archaeologist Caleb Huston stands in front of a total station, a type of survey equipment. He works to map the area around the tabby. He is wearing blaze orange and a Top Gun hat.
Dr. Katherine Seeber stands in the Barnwell Family Tabby, taking a selfie of the work behind her with Dr. Kimberly Cavanaugh on the left, Benjamin Heckman to the right, and Amelia Hessey, Caleb Kelly, Caleb Hutson, Samuel Bourcy and Shawn Johns in th
Dr. Katherine Seeber sits on the ground with a canvas in her lap, paint and brushes to the right. In front of her is the Barnwell Family Tabby. You can see she is painting the Tabby in a historical interpretation illustration.

origin stories

origin stories

Carolina Community Archaeology is honored to be working with the Barnwell Family to develop educational content to communicate the story of the tabby.

In conjunction with archaeologists, historians, and preservation specialists, CCA is working to build a new exhibit and associated materials like this coloring book to help bring this remarkable story into our classrooms.

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