Geoarchaeological Investigations at the Topper and Big Pine Sites Department of Anthropology East Carolina University Abstract: Stratified sites of the first Americans are rare in the southeastern United States. Yet the southeast may hold the key to understanding the origins of Clovis and the arrival of the first people to the New World. The results of geoarchaeological studies at two Paleoamerican sites-Topper and Big Bine along the Central Savannah River near Allendale, South Carolina are discussed. The Topper site is situated on the second terrace of the Savannah River. The oldest geological unit at the site consists of heavily weathered alluvium. Unconformably overlying this unit is additional Savannah River alluvium. This unit is truncated and overlain by more alluvial sediments. These fine white sands contain the "Topper Assemblage." Overlying the alluvial sediments are a series of colluvial deposits. These colluvial deposits contain artifacts ranging from Clovis to late Prehistoric in age. Radiocarbon and luminescence ages have been obtained from these sediments. The Big Pine site is located on the first terrace of the Savannah River. At this site, Clovis and later period artifacts are found in a series of alluvial sediments.