Construction site find

[Ihauntyou]

I was driving one afternoon and noticed a pile of dirt that had shells sticking out of it . Located at a construction site in mount pleasant South Carolina.  Realizing how far inland I was I thought I happened to stumble across something special. As many as there were I immediately knew I was going to need help so  picked up my wife and a friend of ours from work and the 3 of us picked up a couple hundred of these shells . I don’t know anything about them or how they even got there I was hoping someone could help me figure this out . I’ve had these for over 2 years now , we have them laid out everywhere. In our house , backyard and use a few as paper weights .  My biggest question is where did these come from ? And how did they wind up at a construction site in a giant pile of dirt?

[automech]

Welcome to the Forum! That's a great collection. There are a few Carolina members on here that should chime in soon to help you. Your area is called the "Low Country" because at many points in history it was completely under water. That's why you found your bonanza.

[cngodles]

Just 18,000 years ago, give or take, the continental shelves were dry land since so much of the ocean's water was locked in ice sheets.

 

Much of the blue in this image was land you could walk on. 120,000 years ago, seas were 20 feet higher, and the water flooded into some of the green.

[Fin Lover]

South Carolina was under water all the way up to the Midlands (around Columbia) at one point in time.  

 

But, being at a construction site, that dirt/sand could have been brought in from another place nearby.  In the general area, a lot has been moved from quarries, dredging, etc. so things aren't always in the right place.