Port Brunswick along the Cape Fear River became a major exporter of pitch, tar, and raw turpentine. Robinson reviews the production of naval stores and the arrangement of port facilities through archaeological research.
In 1794, John Beam bought land in what is now Cleveland County and began farming. The family would farm the property, now on the National Register of Historic Places, for over 100 years. The authors describe the site's architectural and archaeological features, look at the placement of the farmstead on the Piedmont landscape, and describe farm changes during the 100 years of Beam family ownership.
In 1958, Brunswick Town was rediscovered and excavations began shortly thereafter. Research at the site between 1958 and 1968 contributed to Brunswick Town's becoming a State Historic Site. The authors summarize the decade's archaeological investigations, their significance, and their importance in the archaeological history of the state.