Florida Archaeology
Our discussion and lesson for week nine was Florida Archaeology. Humans have lived in Florida for over 14,500 years but the only record of the indigenous people were the tribes that were present when Europeans arrived around 1513. Nothing is know about the preceding tribes, and most of the tribes the Europeans contacted died of either disease or social change. One of the current indigenous people of Florida are the Seminole, but they descendants of the Lower Creek people of Georgia and Alabama that fled to Florida during the 1810's. They are also the only federally recognized tribe to never have signed a peace treaty with the government. We also discussed Dr. John Goggin who founded both the Department of Anthropology at UF and the Florida Anthropological society. He conducted research in Florida, New Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean and his focus was the interaction between colonists and natives. We have found many artifacts from these lost tribes, especially on Marco Island. The site contained a "muck pit" that allowed for the preservation of these artifacts including the "Key Marco Cat", "Pelican figurehead", and "Spoonbill man mask". Other finds along the Gulf Coast include shell net gauges found in Charlotte Harbor Preserve, these were used to ensure nets were constructed exactly to specification. To date, over 400 dug out canoes have been discovered in Florida. These were created by working an entire tree log with hand tools and fire to construct a water craft. The Lake Munson Canoe was located in 2010 when the lake was drawn down to lower levels, it dates back 500-800 years old. Early Florida people used Agatized Coral or Chert to manufacture stone tools. The coral was sourced around Tampa Bay the chert was sources from the North, Central, and Western part of the state. The distribution of fossils in the Chert can help researchers locate which area it came from since the fossils act like a fingerprint. We also discussed that Florida's pre-history can be broken down into six different time periods: Paleoindian, Early/Middle/Late Archaics, Woodland, and Mississippian. Each period is marked by substantial changes in culture and technology, from simple stone tools to intricately crafted copper plates.
Florida’s Indigenous Heritage Faces a Watery Grave
Mehta, J. and Skipton, T. (2019,October 11) Florida’s Indigenous Heritage Faces a Watery Grave. https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/florida-climate-change/
This article discussed sea-level rise and the impact it has on archaeology in Florida. The article quotes a U.N. report that global levels could rise by 3 feet in the next 75 years. The author uses the upper most prediction from the report, I found the report and gives a very broad range of predicted rise anywhere from 10-12 inches to three feet. That is a huge difference in impact, but it still does not minimize the issue that archaeologist face: That ancient sites are disappearing below the water. We must take steps to protect these sites before they are lost forever, and without these sites we will never learn about first people of Florida.
The article discusses steps that can be taken to protect the sites, such as planting salt resistant grasses to discourage erosion, building sea walls and levees. But the author believes these will have a negative impact on the surrounding environment. It sounds like we have an urgent call for more archaeologist in the field and more funding to conduct studies at these sites before they are lost forever. I feel I am making the correct choice in choosing the field of Marine Archaeology. Some of these sites are already underwater and must be studies before they are destroyed.
Cape Canaveral Archaeological Project Provides Training for Space Coast Students
Tyler, E. and Barber, S. (2023) Adventures in Florida Archaeology: Cape Canaveral Archaeological Project Provides Training for Space Coast Students https://myfloridahistory.org/sites/myfloridahistory.org/files/field/public-files/book/aifa-magazine-2023-5-1-23v3_withcover.pdf
This article was located in the 2023 edition of "Adventures in Florida Archaeology". It is in line with the last article I reviewed where it discusses the effects of climate change on the Florida coastline and the threat to cultural resources. The U.S. Space Force is partnering with the University of Central Florida to document these threatened archaeological and historic sites on Cape Canaveral. This collaboration is called the Cape Canaveral Archaeological Mitigation Project (CCAMP) and is archaeological field research paired with a class component. The barrier island that make up the Cape formed approximately 6,000 years ago and were inhabited by indigenous people like the Ais and Surruque until the 1700's.
I found this article interesting because I lived in Canaveral for a few years when I first joint the Coast Guard, and I had no idea about the cultural significance of the Space Coast. I would like to try and do one of my field schools there, not only to study the prehistoric aspects but the historic aspects through the Space Race as well.
University of Florida offers new archaeology field course based in Gainesville
Pinson, J. (2024, Oct 7)University of Florida offers new archaeology field course based in Gainesville. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/university-of-florida-offers-new-archaeology-field-course-based-in-gainesville/
This article discuss a new field course that is being offered by the University of Florida to locate a 16th century Spanish mission. Mission San Francisco de Potano was located in north-central Florida, a few miles from Gainesville, in 1956. During the spring semester, students were afforded the opportunity to study the site and were taught the fundamental of archaeology by first hand experience. Previous excavations of the site were minimal, with the original lasting only two days and all the records were lost. A follow up was conducted in 1964, and in 2006 test excavations established the sites boundaries. It was not until last spring that such a large scale excavation has been conducted.
I have heard that there is a lost mission somewhere on Tyndall AFB. It would be exciting if we could use some of the school's equipment, like LIDAR and drones, to try and conduct an aerial survey or at least get permission to conduct a walking survey of where the mission is believed to have existed. I am excited to transfer to West Florida and see what types of field courses they offer.
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