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Cultural Resource Assessment Survey of the Peck Sink Storm Water Park Design Project Area in Hernando County, Florida

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Cultural Resource Assessment Survey of the Peck Sink Storm Water Park Design Project Area in Hernando County, Florida CULTURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT SURVEY OF THE PECK SINK STORM WATER PARK DESIGN PROJECT AREA IN HERNANDO COUNTY, FLORIDA Prepared for: Hernando County Board of County Commissioners 20 North Main Street Brooksville, Florida 34601 By: Archaeological Consultants, Inc. 8110 Blaikie Court, Suite A Sarasota, Florida 34240 Joan Deming - Project Manager Elizabeth A. Horvath and Lee Hutchinson - Project Archaeologists Justin Winkler and Nelson Rodriguez - Archaeologists In Association with: King Engineering Associates, Inc. 4921 Memorial Highway, Suite 300 Tampa, Florida 33634 September 2009 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Archaeological Consultants, Inc. (ACI) conducted a cultural resource assessment survey (CRAS) of the approximately 111-acre Peck Sink Storm Water Park Design project area (hereinafter referred to as Peck Sink) in Hernando County, Florida in June and July 2009. The purpose of this survey was to locate and identify any cultural resources within the project area, and to assess their significance in terms of eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This survey was conducted for the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), and complies with Hernando County’s Comprehensive Plan (effective February 2006). This report also complies with Chapters 267 and 373, Florida Statutes (FS), Florida’s Coastal Management Program, and implementing state regulations regarding possible impact to significant historical properties. This report conforms to the specifications set forth in Chapter 1A-46, Florida Administrative Code (FAC) (revised August 21, 2002) and the Cultural Resource Management Standards and Operational Manual (Florida Division of Historical Resources [FDHR] 2003). Background research and a review of the Florida Master Site File (FMSF) and NRHP indicated that no archaeological sites have been recorded previously within the Peck Sink property. However, an informal inspection of the Peck Sink area, conducted by ACI in 1998, revealed that portions of the project tract had a high potential for aboriginal utilization. The area surrounding Peck Sink contains outcrops and boulders of silicified limestone (chert) which were quarried by the local aboriginal inhabitants, and used to make stone tools. Therefore, at least one quarry/lithic scatter type site was expected. As a result of field survey, the Peck Sink Site (8HE647) was discovered. The site extends across the entire tract, with variable artifact density. The Peck Sink Site (8HE647) is a multi-component archaeological site that contains mostly lithic debitage associated with the quarrying of lithics for stone tools. The debitage is not diagnostic in itself, but likely dates from the Paleo-Indian to Archaic periods. A Paleo-Indian component is suspected, based upon the site’s proximity to the Colorado Site, where the same type of chert was utilized. Sand Tempered Plain and Chattahoochee Brushed ceramics are indicative of post- Archaic and Seminole period components. Although no diagnostic lithic artifacts were recovered, there was extensive looting of the site in the area circumscribed by the bend of the drainage channel. This strongly suggests that diagnostic artifacts were plentiful and may still be in that area. As such, monitoring of any subsurface disturbance proposed in that locale is recommended. Monitoring of the excavations for the vegetative filter marsh on the west side of the drainage is also recommended due to the higher density or artifacts in that area. Background research, including a review of the FMSF and NRHP, indicated that no historic resources were recorded within the Peck Sink property. Examination of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Brooksville, Florida quadrangle (1954, PR 1988) revealed no potential for historic structures in the project area. No historic structures were identified as a result of field survey. Although of interest in terms of settlement and land-use patterns, the site does not appear to meet the eligibility criteria for listing in the NRHP. The artifact density is generally low and there is a paucity of diagnostic cultural materials, and subsurface features. As such the site has a rather low research potential. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Project Description ............................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Purpose ............................................................................................................... 1-1 2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING .................................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Location and Environment .................................................................................. 2-1 2.2 Physiography and Geology ................................................................................. 2-1 2.3 Lithic Resources ................................................................................................. 2-3 2.4 Soils .................................................................................................................... 2-4 2.5 Botanical and Faunal Resources ......................................................................... 2-4 2.6 Local Hydrology ................................................................................................. 2-5 2.7 Paleoenvironmental Considerations.................................................................... 2-5 3.0 ABORIGINAL CULTURE CHRONOLOGY ............................................................ 3-1 3.1 Paleo-Indian ........................................................................................................ 3-1 3.2 Archaic ................................................................................................................ 3-4 3.3 Formative ............................................................................................................ 3-6 3.4 Mississippian/Acculturative ................................................................................ 3-7 3.5 Seminole ............................................................................................................. 3-8 4.0 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ........................................................................................ 4-1 4.1 Protohistoric and European Exploration ............................................................. 4-1 4.2 The Chocochatti Seminole (1767-1836) ............................................................. 4-1 4.3 The Seminole Wars ............................................................................................. 4-2 4.4 The Armed Occupation Act and Early Anglo-American Settlement.................. 4-3 4.5 Third Seminole War (1855-1858) ....................................................................... 4-5 4.6 The Civil War and Aftermath ............................................................................. 4-5 4.7 Impact of the Railroads ....................................................................................... 4-6 4.8 Early Industrial and Commercial Development ................................................. 4-6 4.9 Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Developments ........................... 4-8 4.10 1940s to the Present ............................................................................................ 4-9 5.0 RESEARCH CONSIDERATIONS AND METHODS ............................................... 5-1 5.1 Background Research and Literature Review ..................................................... 5-1 5.1.1 Archaeological Considerations .................................................... 5-1 5.1.2 Historical Considerations ............................................................. 5-4 5.2 Field Methodology .............................................................................................. 5-4 5.3 Laboratory Methods and Curation ...................................................................... 5-5 5.4 Unexpected Discoveries ..................................................................................... 5-5 6.0 SURVEY RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS .............................................................. 6-1 6.1 Archaeological Survey Results ........................................................................... 6-1 6.2 Historical/Architectural Survey Results ............................................................. 6-6 6.3 Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 6-6 7.0 REFERENCES CITED ................................................................................................. 7-1 APPENDICES: Appendix A: FMSF Form Appendix B: Survey Log ii LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES, AND PHOTOGRAPHS Figure Page Figure 1.1. Peck Sink Storm Water Park Design project area. .................................................... 1-2 Figure 2.1. Environmental setting of the Peck Sink Storm Water Park project area. .................. 2-2 Figure 3.1. Florida Archaeological Regions. ............................................................................... 3-2 Figure 5.1. Previously recorded archaeological sites located within one mile of the Peck Sink Storm Water Park project area. ................................................................................. 5-2 Figure 6.1. Park project concept plan and the approximate location of shovel tests within the Peck Sink Storm Water Park
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