April 7, 2020
Based on recommendations from Gov. Henry McMaster, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Archaeology team has made the decision to cancel the excavation at Pockoy Island, located on Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve. The cancelation of the Pockoy Island excavation also means that all associated volunteer opportunities, guided tours, and group tours of the excavation site will be canceled as well.
The fifth excavation season at Pockoy Island was scheduled to take place from Friday, May 1 through Saturday, May 23, 2020.
The SCDNR Archaeology team would like to thank all those who have visited Pockoy Island and volunteered during past excavation seasons. Each of you have contributed greatly to the ongoing archaeological investigation of Pockoy Island, and your assistance and interest is most appreciated. The SCDNR Archaeology team hopes to schedule another excavation at Pockoy Island later this year, but a determination of those dates cannot be made at this time. Dates for this excavation will be determined based on novel coronavirus disease recommendations from Gov. McMaster, DHEC, CDC and WHO.
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Media Contact: David Lucas, Regional Public Information Coordinator