<*qr i \_j i^y i • i r "'-^ !>3-?OG UNITED ST ATfS Of iM^TMEN . Or THG INTE.\.OW \^ (July I9o9) NATIONAL PARK SuRVlCE COUN T v- i NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Sarasota INVENTORY - NOMINATION' FORM ! FOR iNPS USE ONLY

CNTRYNUMUi.Fi i OA'TC (Type nil entries — complete applicable sections) ————JUL 10 1979 i— • — ~ VA,V,E ULVMJ <-*.-.^ Little Salt Springs

AND OR HISTORI C:

I O LOCATION srnLLT ANCNUMO£R; r Circa, two miles North of US 41. ClTYOKTOV\N: ' North Port Charlotte Vicinivty cooi ICOUNT V: CODf Florida 12 i Sar asota 115 [3. CLASSIFICATION . CATEGORY j OWNFRSHIP (C/K-ch Dm-) STATUS | TOTH^Byc — jr District ". Building ^ Public Public Acquisition: D Occupied Ycs: ' , i O r on n • J (\! Reific'OC1 X. $' tc ~i Structure }£j Unoccupied " h- . ^ [P^Lit-NT uaE f Chock O/ic or .Vori- MJ. Approptiiito)

A.^i icuityrcl C2 Government £2 P^fk Q Transportation Fj Commenti

C£ \^ Commercial i 1 Industrie! ^ j^j Private Resioonce Q Othor (Spar.lty) EojCotionol [I; Military Q] RoligfouS

Lntcrtainmt'nf I_ i Museum ,_ j Scientific c/1 -2: '4. QWNt R Or PROPERTY . " • Ov'.N tlh'ii N A.ME: ^d :1/1 General Development Corporation ^ ^^ . h- -i LU iTtstt_T AND NUMllER: "7^> o*-; .? tJJ i>friv-fc.I"^Y"T \Tf^ -|—l"*> (N ^?.x 1102, ^ |CITV OR TOWN: . ^ ST ATE: ( CODE & j"PTi"snti NJc~^ 't-'H vCjT" F lorida ^^^5 12 [5. LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION ICOURTMOUSE. REGISTRY OF oceos, ETC: 1 Sarasota County Courthouse Sarasota CCHJNfTV: STRCtT AND NUMQER:

Cl TN OH TOWN: ST ATE c o D f

Sarasota ;P lorida 12 \6. REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS i IHIII 1 \i,ii 01 nj l-i V 1. V: Florida Archaeological Survey .

I_M .'ojiroHv ron I»UNVI;Y KUCOHDS: ' c a Division of Archives/ History, and Records. Majaa_aejmenjL__ m SIUL-UT ANDNUMUtR; ' m ' Department of State, The Capitol D~Z. C 1 T V ON TOWN: ST ATC ! COOL. —————— r ' Tallahassee Florida \ 1 ; OA¥f£1

I ... . [7| ExcnHonl J(l Good |_J F: dr Q Doi«riora?«d {" j Ruins | | U»,*)xpo$fl

Altorod (71 IMoherod (~~) Moved Original 5ito

DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (If kfliMn) PHYSICAL APPGAHANCE

The best description of the ]}«\\:>*:\t .J.ysicul .siju^tion of Little Salt Springs is given by Cl-u^n (1571) , arid is as follows. Little Salt Springs is located in the south central portion of,Sarasota County, Florida, at 27 04 29 North and longitude 82° 14 00 West. Geologically the site is a type of solution feature typically known as a "sink" or "" penetrating the lime­ stone plain underlying the area. Physically it consists at the surface of a circular pond approximately 76 meters in diameter surrounded by a fringe of dense subtropical vegetation situated in what might be generally described as "south Florida ranch land", open flat m Savanna type country with scrub oaks, range rn grass and palmetto predominating. In the center of the pond at a depth of approximately 12 meters below the surface is located an oval orifice some 24 to 30 meters in diameter. The walls of the sink below the orifice, or mouth, taper down and out forming a large, inverted funnel shaped n cavern. Ringing this cavern are at least 'two known tedges located at depths of approxi­ H mately 21 and 27 meters below the present water surface. These ledges vary considerably o in width, ranging from 40 to 70 centimeters "Z. to 7 to 8 meters. Other ledges may exist be­ tween the 27 meter ledge and the bottom of the sink, which below the center of the pond lies at a depth of 65 meters. (Clausen, 1971:1) The physical characteristics of the water from Little Salt Springs gives some indication why the artifactual preservation is so remarkable. A chemical analysis of the spring water indicates that dissolved solids compose 3,590 parts per million; producing a favorable situation for rapid mineralization (Wells, 10-30-59). In addition, dissolved oxygen in the water is virtually non-existent beyond the first few feet nearest the surface (Clausen, Ms. log: 2-3). The temperature of the spring is extremely constant, varying less than 1.0 degree F. from the surface down to 210 feet (Ibid-notes: 4). These last two factors would tend to retard bacteria, and enhance the environment conducive to preservation *>I£WOO (Check One or A/ore it* Api>r"t>riui<<)

X! Pro-Col umbioo | | Ifilli Century 201 h

Q| 15th Century I "I )7th Ccntu'y I 19di Conlury

DATEtS! (II AppJIc.aMo urn! Knwn) ± 5,000 B.C.

AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Chock Otiv or A/i^ro UK Appropriate)

Aboriginal Q| education [ j Political [ ] Ufbun Planning

£X Prohisforic f^J Engineering [ "j Religion/Phi - L"| Other (Specify)

Q Historic Q Industry losaphy

Q Agriculture I | Invention f J Science

j | Architecture Q] Landscape [^| Sculpture

Q Art Architecture Q Socio l/Human- Q Commerce ;, Qri(, n

i I Military £j Theater

| | Conservation Music "

OP SIGNIFICANCE

The first reported investigation of Little Salt Springs was conducted in 1959 by Colonel William Royal of Venice, Florida. His observation of human skeletal material on' the 21 various ledges within the sink, prompted a second investigation o Later that same year, Royal, accompanied by a marine biologist geologist, and archaeologist, again investigated Little Salt Springs.^ The occurrence of human skeletons within the recesses on the sink was confirmed, and enough skeletal material was U recovered to account for at least 50 individuals (Goggin, 1962, Clausen, 1972: 1-2). Although much professional interest was I a; generated by this discovery (Goggin, 1962), no further research was conducted until 1970. At this time, General Development Corporation, the owners of the site, permitted several teams of sport divers to explore the springs. They subsequently reported the existence of skeletal material on the ledges, emphasizing the occurrence of this material on the 27 meter

LU ledge (Clausen, 197.1: 2). In 1971, the Division of Archives, History, and Records Management was contacted by the General Development Corporatior, concerning research at Little Salt Springs. A cooperative re­ search program between the General Development Corporation and the Division of Archives, History, and Records Management was formulated, and was initiated in May, 1971, A multi-disciplin4 research design was set up, and included geologists, limnolo- gists, archaeologists, and physical anthropologists. Directing the research was Carl Clausen, State Marine Archaeologist, who conducted preliminary investigation in May and November, 1971, The first phase of the research was designed to collect human skeletal material for C-14 dating, and to familiarize the re­ searchers with the environment of Little Salt Springs. In November, 1971, Phase II of the project was undertaken. This phase included a detailed environmental evaluation, utilizing both the geologist aid limnologist, as well as the archaeolo- gist-in-charge. Core samples, fathometer readings, and chemical analysis of the water were taken in preparation for the major archaeological investigation scheduled for Phase III. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

SEE ATTACHED SHEET

1C. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPtCHTY () DEFINING THE CENTER POsNT OF A PROPERTY , ...... _ ""——•• -• iI5 OF LESS THAN Tl-'N ACRES CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE L A Tl TUOC LO NGI TUDC Degrees Minutes Socend* Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minulos Seconds Degrees AMinute 3, Secondi O • n NW ° N 27° 04 ' 29 " W82° 14' 00 " NE ° 0 • H SE ° 0 , it . SW o , O > o APPROXIMATE ACH Ei AG U O F NOMIN A TED PROPER TY ; j^Q g cj than tGUl aCrGS ,LIST ALL STATES ANO.COUNTlES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES m STATE: CODE COUNTY CODE m

S T A T »: : CODE COUN TY : COOC

S T A T U ; CODE COUN TY : CODE

i T A T t: : cone COUNTY: COOG

. FORM PREPARED BY d N AML AND Tl fLL: n Daniel T. Penton, Historic Sites Specialist OKiiANIiATiON DATii H Division of Archives/ History, and' Records Mqt. May, 1972 STHEET AND NUMBER: o Department of State/ The Capitol "Z. CITY OR TOWN: STATE CODE Tallahassee Florida hi 2 : . STATE LIAISON OFFICER CCRTIFICAUON NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION L_l

As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Nu- [ hereby certify that this property is included in the tioniu Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nommoto this property for inclusion National Register. in the Nntional Ron is it; r and certify that it hns been u vitlui.it ed according tt) the oriteru* «nd procedures set forth by the . The recommended G'liirfczftffijSiLQ/ /Irc/tcoi*^)' nnd-Wi»(o , f ,r, n. ,..,^rv,-. t'.Loa ' level of significance of this nomntiilion as: .f^ffiSEPM GE fiffi fiStlSKAX SSGTjBTEfi National [X^— ^Stute jTJ LocuLr /Q

D»to

AITESTj

Title State— LiaiyG^** »^ j- a- -I. V^ C^T Deputy State ^li storic Preservati^ fwl. j- M?i Officer J -J / Pat.' O l-^- 1 1 Date !/ U 1| ._..:

GP 0 9 0 1 -0 6 Form 10.?00o DEPARTMENT Of THE IN i A i i. g'yly 1969} NATIONAL PARK Florida NATIONAL REGiSTER OF HISTORIC PLACES f V Sarasota INVENTORY - NOMINATION ,-ORM FOR NPS USE ONLY tJATC (Continuation Shuut) (Number all JUL I 0 1979 7. DESCRIPTION Both geological and archaeological evidence indicates that the water level of Little Salt Springs was substantially lower in the past, than at present. The occurrence of both human and animal skeletal material on the 21 and 27 meter ledges suggests this type of situation, as well as the presence of stalactites and stalagmites on these ledges. This type of geological formation could not have formed unless the water level was lower than the ledges. Form 10-3QO