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A Review of Underwater Stone Age Archaeology in Florida

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A Review of Underwater Stone Age Archaeology in Florida A Review of Underwater Stone Age Archaeology in Florida JAMES ALAN READE MCCLEAN Abstract This paper provides an overview of underwater Stone Age archaeological research in Florida, USA. The public is most aware of Florida’s shipwreck legacy as a result of media sensationalism, however there also exists a community of scholars dedicated to prehistoric research in Florida. As in the Baltic region, submerged sites have provided excellent preservation of organic materials. Research in Florida’s submerged past has a history extending back over one hundred and fifty years utilizing surface supplied diving technology to recover extinct Pleistocene mammal remains from springs. Recent and current projects are outlined in this paper to raise awareness of the development of high standards in this ”nascent discipli- ne” in Florida. A brief description is also given of scientific diver training available at the authour’s home institution, Florida State University, in Tallahassee Florida. Zusammenfassung Ziel des Beitrages ist ein zusammenfassender Überblick zu den unterwasserarchäologischen Forschungsergebnissen zur steinzeitlichen Besiedlungsgeschichte Floridas. Allgemein werden die Begriffe ”Florida” und ”Unterwasserarchäologie” meist mit der Untersuchung spanischer Schiffwracks durch verschiedene Schatztaucherfirmen assoziiert. Dabei wird aber häufig übersehen, dass es in Florida neben kommerziellen Bergungen auch wissenschaftlich ausgerichtete Forschungspro- gramme zur präkolumbianischen Geschichte des Landes gibt, bei denen unterwasserarchäologische Untersuchungen er- hebliche Bedeutung haben. Ähnlich wie im südwestlichen Ostseegebiet sind auch die steinzeitlichen Unterwasserfundstel- len in Florida durch hervorragende Erhaltungsbedingungen für organisches Material gekennzeichnet. Deren Erforschung begann vor etwa 150 Jahren, als unter Verwendung schlauchversorgter Tauchgerätschaften die Bergung von Überresten heute ausgestorbener pleistozäner Säugetiere aus Süßwasserquelltöpfen erfolgte. Anhand der in diesem Aufsatz beschriebe- nen Projekte der jüngeren Vergangenheit und der Gegenwart soll der mittlerweile entwickelte hohe Standard dieser auch in Florida noch wachsenden Disziplin demonstriert werden. Abschließend wird noch kurz das Ausbildungsprogramm zum Forschungstaucher des Forschungstauchzentrums an der Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, der Hei- matuniversität des Autors, vorgestellt. Translation: Harald Lübke Introduction The recent history of Florida as a colony of Europe is well known. Stories of Spanish trea- It is the intention of this paper to introduce the sure ships stranded along the Florida Keys have audience to Stone Age underwater archaeology filled the media since the introduction of in the state of Florida, USA. Florida is located SCUBA technology in the 1950’s. What is less in the southeast region of the United States well known is the story of the earliest Paleo- and is a peninsula bounded by water on nearly Indian settlement of Florida. This history lies all sides, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the mostly underwater and this paper addresses the Caribbean Sea to the south and the Gulf of development of underwater research at Stone Mexico along the west coast. Florida has over Age sites in Florida. 4000 kilometers of coastline, and over 17000 Before discussing the archaeological sites it is kilometers of rivers and streams. As such Flori- first necessary to introduce the various topo- da is a prime location for marine archaeology, graphic features of Florida. The state is a pen- not only historic shipwrecks, but a long cul- insula forming the southeastern corner of the tural heritage spanning twelve thousand years. USA. The state is predominantly composed of 11 NAU 8 2001 Abb. 1: Map of Florida indicating sites mentioned in the text (Prepared in ArcView by James Alan Reade McClean). limestone formed over the past 200 million clay deposits and runs east west across the nor- years as a thick carbonate deposit in a warm thern part of the state just south of the capital shallow sub-tropical sea. This limestone is city of Tallahassee (LANE 1986). South of this overlain by surficial sediments of undifferen- feature the water saturated tiated sands deposited by sea levels higher than limestone is covered by only a layer of porous present. The state today is characteristically flat sand about 8 meters thick and freshwater with elevations generally less than 100 metres. springs are typical for regions south of the clay During the last Ice Age global sea levels were deposits. Wakulla Springs is a well-known ex- lowered by as much as 80 meters and the Flori- ample of a Magnitude 1 spring (discharging da peninsula was almost double in width, ex- 693 million litres of fresh water per day at a posing a vast flat plain now partly submerged constant 20° Celsius) and is characteristic of under the shallow Gulf of Mexico along the springs that are so significant to Florida’s Florida’s West Coast. The northern region of geophysical and cultural history as discussed Florida bordering Georgia is mostly covered below (ROSENAU et al. 1977). with thick red clay deposits that were water Sinkholes are related to spring features. Sink- transported away from the southern Appala- holes begin as cavities in the soft limestone as a chian Mountains (SCOTT 1995). The relati- result of carbonic acid dissolution of the carbo- onship between overburdening clay and sand nate rocks. Hydrostatic pressure of the aquifer over porous water bearing limestone is signifi- helps to support the overlying sediments as the cant to understand the relevant topographic subterranean cavities increase in size. At times features that are typical of Florida today. These of lowered water table levels, or when the cavi- are; springs and sinkholes, rivers, wetlands and ty becomes too large and unstable, the over- the shallow near shore open ocean. lying sediments are liable to collapse into the Limestone is readily eroded by chemical action cavity forming a sinkhole (LANE 1986). Sink- from surface waters containing carbonic acid. holes may be filled with sand or may be open The porous limestone allows ground water to water filled passages with direct access to the flow easily in lateral directions under the sur- water table. When formed in riverbeds, sink- face deposits. The northern part of Florida is holes often swallow rivers with subsequent di- characterized by the Floridan Aquifer, a li- scharge considerable distances downstream. thostratigraphic feature of permeable limesto- This type of feature is known as a ”lost river”. ne saturated by subsurface ground water. Lost rivers may disappear and re-emerge sever- Overlying clay sediments of the northern regi- al times in their course of travel, which inevi- on are impermeable to water and restrict up- tably leads downhill toward the sea. ward flow from the underlying aquifer. The Because of the lack of overlying clay sediments Cody Scarp forms a sharp limit to the northern throughout most of the state, waters south of 12 A Review of Underwater Stone Age Archaeology in Florida the Cody Scarp are typically ”gin clear” and one of the recovered crania contained well-pre- free of suspended sediment particles. Freshwa- served cerebral tissue. The preservation of hu- ter springs form the source of most of Florida’s man material was among the most noteworthy rivers. The water is typically crystal clear du- aspect of this excavation. Studies performed ring the dryer winter season and stained a dark upon the brain tissue included X-ray, CAT and brown from tannic acid during heavy rain sea- MRI scanning as well as mitochondrial DNA sons, usually spring and summer. This fresh studies to determine cultural affiliation of the water can provide extremely good conditions remains to present populations (DORAN/DIK- for the preservation of organic materials, and KEL 1988). Preservation of this type is a rare certain rivers are famous for the number of blessing for archaeologists, and is a hallmark of Pleistocene animal remains recovered there, as both Florida and the Baltic region. will be discussed below. Another aspect of Florida archaeology similar Throughout the southern portions of the state, to the Baltic region is the opportunity to pro- low lying areas are typically characterized by spect for and study cultural sites submerged by boggy wetlands, including the famous Evergla- global eustatic sea level rise. The Florida penin- des region. These wetlands have anaerobic con- sula during the last glacial maximum was ditions suitable to the preservation of organic about twice as wide as its present shape. Oc- remains such as wood and human remains. cupation sites at elevations lower than present Some sites have yielded exceptionally well pre- sea levels were subsequently submerged by the served finds of organic remains, especially hu- rising waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GARRISON man skeletal material such as found at the 1992, RUPPE 1980). This is a feature that is si- Windover site discussed below. milar to the southern coast of the Baltic, which is less prone to isostatic rebound than northern Scandinavia. The methods of underwater ar- Similarities between Florida and chaeology developed by Danish archaeologists the Baltic region (FISCHER 1995, MALM 1995, SKAARUP 1993) to study submerged Stone Age sites are equally There exist several similarities between Florida relevant to the situation in Florida. and the Southern Baltic region in terms of pre- Considering the environmental similarities historic site types
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