Profile of an origin: A chemical and physical characterization study of historic brick and clay from the Ashley River, South Carolina

The goal of this thesis is to develop an adapted scientific methodology for identifying the clay region or source location for a particular brick used in early Charleston, South Carolina. The focus of the paper will be on the Ashley River region. It will review previous scholarly research, theses, and publications on Charleston brick, geology of the river and selected analytical methods with intent to build on this topic. A justification is also given for the selection of the materials and testing methods used for the study. Through chemical and physical characterization testing, of clay sites and bricks of known historical structures along the river, it is hoped that regional identifications can be made. The thesis further recommends continual research in the expansion of the study area.