Publisher's Note

PUBLISHER’S NOTE Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) East Central Region from 2010 through 2013. Under the direction of FHS, the East Central Region was one of FPAN’s most successful.

Today, FHS is continuing our long tradition of supporting archaeology in the state with the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Insti- tute (FHSAI), established in 2014. The mission statement says that FHSAI “is dedicated to educating the public about Florida archae- DR. BEN BROTEMARKLE ology through research, publication, educa- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR tional outreach, and the promotion of com- FLORIDA HISTORICAL SOCIETY plimentary work by other organizations.”

Based at the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science in Cocoa, FHSAI pres- Established in 1856, the Florida Histori- ents lectures on a wide variety of archaeol- cal Society has been supporting archaeolo- ogy topics, provides educational outreach gy in the state for more than a century. at events and in classrooms throughout the state, and promotes the work of other orga- FHS was the first state-wide organization nizations through the Florida Frontiers pub- dedicated to the preservation of Florida his- lic radio and television programs. tory and prehistory, as stated in our 1905 constitution. We were the first state-wide Publications of the Florida Historical Society organization to preserve Native American Archaeological Institute include the books artifacts such as stone pipes, arrowheads, Searching Sand and Surf: The Origins of Ar- and pottery, and the first to actively pro- chaeology in Florida edited by Rachel K. mote and publish archaeological research Wentz, Florida & Caribbean Native People: dating back to the early 1900s. Archaeolo- Paintings of Theodore Morris with commen- gy enthusiast Clarence B. Moore became a tary from professional archaeologists, Hand- Member of the Florida Historical Society in fuls of History: Stories about Florida’s Past by 1907, and donated his written works to the Jerald T. Milanich, and the annual magazine Library of Florida History. Adventures in Florida Archaeology.

From the early twentieth century to the We hope you enjoy this 2017 edition of our present, leading Florida archaeologists magazine. Last year’s edition is available on- have had their work published in the FHS line as a pdf at myfloridahistory.org/fh- journal, the Florida Historical Quarterly. The sai/2016magazine. Florida Historical Society was instrumental in the creation of the position of State Ar- chaeologist and the establishment of the Florida Anthropological Society (FAS) in the 1940s, and served as host of the Florida

2 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology TABLE OF CONTENTS

04 NEW LUNA SETTLEMENT EXCAVATION FEATURING: Dr. Gregory D. Cook, Dr. John E. Worth, Dr. Elizabeth Benchley, Jan Lloyd, Dr. John R. Bratten, Tom Garner

Archaeologists at the University of West Florida have identified the terrestrial site of Don Tristan de Luna’s ill-fated 1559 settlement in modern-day Pensacola, and are making new discoveries under water in Pensacola Bay.

10 35 YEARS OF DISCOVERY: THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF WINDOVER FEATURING: Dr. Glen Doran, Vera Zimmerman, Dr. Geoffrey Thomas, Dr. Rochelle Marrinan, Patrisha L. Meyers, Brian Owens

The Windover pond cemetery was discovered in 1982, and 35 years later it remains one of the most significant archaeological sites in the world. Research continues on the remarkably well preserved ancient burials. 16 A CONVERSATION WITH ARCHAEOLOGIST AND AUTHOR JERALD T. MILANICH In an interview with the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute at the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science in Cocoa, eminent historical archaeologist Dr. Jerald T. Milanich discusses the future of Florida archaeology, a controversial view of the Miami Circle, the Spanish mission system, and his new book Handfuls of History: Stories about Florida’s Past. 26 NATIVE FLORIDIANS AND MISSISSIPPIAN CULTURE WITH DR. KEITH ASHLEY Keith Ashley is an archaeologist and research coordinator at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Ashley’s research is demonstrating a link between Native Floridians and the thriving Mississippian culture. 30 THE APALACHEE AT MISSION SAN LUIS WITH KARIN STANFORD The Apalachee lived in Florida’s Panhandle, and by the 1500s they had developed a sophisticated culture with farming villages and ceremonial centers. By 1656, the Spanish established Mission San Luis at the seat of Apalachee power. 34 ARCHAEOLOGICAL RUINS IN NEW SMYRNA BEACH WITH DOT MOORE Some of the most controversial architectural ruins in Florida are in New Smyrna Beach. The so-called “Old Fort Ruins” are from the British period, and the “Sugar Mill Ruins” date from when Florida was a U.S. Territory.

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 3 NEW LUNA SETTLEMENT EXCAVATION: FEATURING: DR. GREGORY D. COOK, DR. JOHN E. WORTH, DR. ELIZABETH BENCHLEY, JAN LLOYD, DR. JOHN R. BRATTEN, TOM GARNER

Don Tristan de Luna lands at present day Pensacola in 1559. Painting by Herbert Rudeen.

On August 15, 1559, Spanish conquistador Don Tristan de Luna sailed into what is now Pensacola Bay with 1,500 colonists aboard a fleet of 12 ships. They intended to establish the first permanent European settlement in what would become the United States, but a violent hurricane altered those plans.

“We’re fortunate that we have a letter that Luna wrote after the hurricane to the King of Spain, describing the storm,” says Gregory D. Cook, assistant professor of maritime archaeology at the University of West Florida. “He said it raged for 24 hours, that it hit during the night with great loss of ships and lives and property.”

4 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology The month before the hurricane struck, the building. They called that a Ramada, which settlers probably built temporary housing, implies it had a roof but no walls. So, they and got started on more permanent struc- didn’t build much as far as we can tell, and tures to establish a colony. we’re hoping the archaeology will reveal what actually happened, because the re- “They presumably searched around and cords aren’t very clear about that.” eventually found the perfect spot where they wanted to set up this first town, which would While historical documents provide a lot eventually have, in theory, about a hundred of information about the intensity of the families residing here,” says John E. Worth, as- hurricane that sunk Luna’s fleet and the sociate professor of anthropology at the Uni- difficulties that the colonists faced, the ex- versity of West Florida. “They spent the next act location of the attempted settlement five weeks probably clearing the forest and was unclear. beginning to set up streets and house lots, and building structures. They kept all of their One of the Luna shipwrecks was discovered important food on the ships, which of course by underwater archaeologists in 1992, and was the safest spot until they built on land.” another in 2006, but until recently, the terrestrial site of the attempted Luna settle- The settlers were in the midst of construc- ment remained a mystery. tion and totally unprepared for the devastat- ing hurricane that came in from the east. Ten The Emmanuel Point I and Emmanuel ships were still anchored in the bay. Seven Point II shipwrecks continue to provide ar- were destroyed, and most of the food sup- chaeologists and archaeology students the plies for the colony were lost.

“We assume they were going to follow normal Spanish plans for a settlement that would have included a plaza and public buildings, and a church and a special house for Luna in the high status area,” says Elizabeth Bench- ley, director of the University of West Florida archaeology institute. “Because the hurricane struck after only 30 days, we’re pretty sure they didn’t get much of that built.”

Luna wanted to make the settlement a suc- cess, despite the impact of the hurricane. The effort lasted nearly two years, over the growing objections of the settlers. The resources readily available were limited and there were no native people in the vicinity to help provide food. Some supplies came from Veracruz and Cuba, which kept the settlement going for a while.

“Over time, they were able to build some kinds of structures,” says Benchley. “There’s reference to the warehouse being built and being a secure building. There are ref- erences to a church, which you would ex- Sherds of Aztec tradition red filmed pottery found at the pect from a Spanish colony to be a priori- Luna settlement, two with traces of black painted designs, and a modeled face sherd discovered on the Emmanuel ty, but we know that was not a substantial Point I wreck, with scale. Photo courtesy of the University of West Florida.

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 5 opportunity to discover artifacts such as When the Luna settlement site was con- stone cannon balls, copper arrow tips to be firmed on land, it was within view of UWF’s used with crossbows, ceramics including underwater archaeology barge. This helped olive jars, and the bones of livestock, rats, lead to the discovery of more Luna ship- and pet cats. wrecks. Remnants from a third and possi- bly fourth shipwreck were identified shortly “What I really like and get excited about after the terrestrial site was located. are the items that have a personal touch, that tell something about the story,” says While the Luna shipwrecks have yielded John Bratten, chair of the University of West fascinating artifacts for decades, it wasn’t Florida anthropology department. “This is until last fall that the exact location of the a wooden spoon, it’s probably made out oldest multi-year European settlement in of olive wood, but this would have been a the United States was discovered in a Pen- sailor’s personal spoon that he would have sacola neighborhood. carried with him and that he would use to eat. They didn’t have forks. They probably Former UWF archaeology student Tom Gar- had a knife and a spoon, and that’s what ner was driving through the neighborhood they did.” when he saw a cleared lot where a house had been torn down. For 30 years, Garner Bratten also points out the clear impression made a practice of investigating such sites, of a fingerprint left in a brick more than 450 just to see if any artifacts might have been years ago. The brick was aboard one of uncovered. Luna’s sunken ships.

Wooden spoons discovered in the Luna shipwrecks in Pensacola Bay. Photo courtesy of the University of West Florida.

6 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology John Bratten places his thumb over a thumbprint left in a brick brought to Florida by Luna more than 450 years ago. Photo by Jerry Klein.

This time, Garner’s curiosity was rewarded. A small house in the neighborhood where the terrestrial Luna settlement site is locat- “The initial artifact that I found was an olive jar, a ed has been transformed into an on-site fragment, the neck from an olive jar,” says Gar- work area for archaeologists, archaeology ner. “These are large, ceramic storage jars for students, and volunteers. food. They’re very common, one of the most common artifacts on Spanish colonial sites. I “We are taking the bags of artifacts and understood that that could potentially be Luna, rough sorting them,” says Jan Lloyd, labora- we’re in a spot close to the shipwrecks, but olive tory director for the UWF archaeology insti- jars go as late as maybe 1800 or so, so it wasn’t tute. “In other words, we’re getting out the necessarily Luna. I contacted the University of dirt. We are sorting the artifacts into differ- West Florida archaeology department, and ent types of material. We’ll make a pile of they came and confirmed what it was.” glass. We’ll make a pile of sixteenth century ceramics. We’ll make a pile of brick. We’ll This past summer, professional archaeolo- make a pile of rocks. Then we’ll bag those gists and archaeology students were working individually. These rough sorted materials at selected sites throughout the Pensacola will go back to my lab and the trained UWF neighborhood, excavating artifacts from the lab crew will work through each bag and Luna settlement. work down to identify each and every artifact that’s in those bags.” “We’ve found lots of broken pots,” says Bench- ley. “What we hope to be able to find, are areas There is no doubt that the sixteenth cen- where different groups of colonists lived togeth- tury artifacts being uncovered in Pensacola er, after the hurricane.” Among the colonists are from the Luna settlement. were single soldiers, families, and Aztec Indians from Mexico. “We haven’t found the boundaries “Amongst the literally hundreds and hun- of the site yet. We’re still trying to find the edges dreds of pieces of Spanish olive jar and of where these artifacts are distributed.” plates and other things, we have a reason- ably robust assemblage of coarse earthen-

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 7 Sherds of Spanish lead glazed coarse earthenware found at the Luna settlement. Photo courtesy of the University of West Florida. ware that’s red filmed for the most part, “Tristan de Luna is this mythical figure in and has this graphite black line paint on Pensacola,” says neighborhood liaison some outside, like decorations,” says Worth. Tom Garner. “People are thrilled to be part “It’s Valley of Mexico sixteenth century Az- of this project. The response has been tre- tec tradition pottery. You don’t find Aztec mendous. There’s some bragging going pottery in the southeast. There was only on these days about living in the oldest one expedition that brought a couple hun- neighborhood in the United States.” dred Aztec Indians to Florida, and that was Today, Don Tristan de Luna’s misfortune the Luna expedition.” is providing amazing research opportu- nities for archaeologists and archaeology After the 1559 hurricane, life was very diffi- students at the University of West Florida. cult for the Luna colonists. The settlement Field schools are conducted on land at was abandoned in 1561. the Luna settlement site, and underwater where the attempted colony’s sunken “We’re hoping that as we do archaeolo- ships are located. gy here, we can actually see the trash pits, which may give us some evidence as to how they survived,” says Worth. For more information about the Luna Set- tlement Excavation, watch episode 11 of The exact location of the Luna settlement the public television series The Florida His- is being protected for now, but the ar- torical Society Presents: Florida Frontiers chaeology work is difficult to miss if you at: https://myfloridahistory.org/frontiers/ drive through the neighborhood. Carefully television/episode/11 dug trenches are apparent in the yards of residential properties.

8 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology Field work at the newly discovered terrestrial Luna Archaeology students continue diving in search of Luna settlement site. Photo by Jerry Klein. artifacts in Pensacola Bay. Photo courtesy of the University of West Florida.

A partially complete early Spanish style olive jar with a preserved stopper, a mostly intact plate, and red earthenware fragments from the attempted 1559 Luna settlement. Photo courtesy of the University of West Florida.

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 9 35 YEARS OF DISCOVERY: THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF WINDOVER FEATURING: DR. GLEN DORAN, VERA ZIMMERMAN, DR. GEOFFREY THOMAS, DR. ROCHELLE MARRINAN, PATRISHA L. MEYERS, BRIAN OWENS

Lorem Ipsom Va. 133345 ETC. etc. Doug Steed July 12, 1976

David Dickel and Glen Doran stand in the drained Windover Pond. Photo courtesy of Glen Doran. The Windover pond cemetery was discovered in 1982, and 35 years later it remains one of the most significant archaeological sites in the world. Research continues on the remarkably well preserved ancient burials.

Backhoe operator Steve Vanderjagt couldn’t believe his eyes. After uncovering a round, brownish object, he stopped clearing away the muck and debris to investigate further. When Vanderjagt picked up the object, the two empty eye sockets of a skull were staring back at him.

10 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology The year was 1982, and Vanderjagt was peat, decomposing in the summer sun, rot- working to clear the area around a pond in ting vegetation and sulfur wafting around, what would become the Windover Farms and it really looked like nothing I had ever subdivision in Titusville, Florida, near the worked on before.” intersection of Interstate 95 and State Road 50. It was quickly apparent that the Once Doran saw the skeletal material that remains of several very old skeletons had had been preserved in the peat bog, his been disturbed. mind started racing, wondering what else might be found in the pond. Jim Swann, the developer of the property, could have made the choice to quietly cov- “It was an intentional burial area and in er the bones and proceed with construc- most places in most time periods, people tion of his housing development, and no place artifacts with their deceased,” says one would have been the wiser. Instead, Doran. “So not only do you have the oppor- Swann halted work on the site and brought tunity for the simple human biology part in experts to determine exactly how old the of the past, you also have an incredible op- newly discovered remains were, and what portunity to capture materials that go into should be done with them. these wet sites. In some cases, they are literally things that you never see in a typical A young archaeologist from Florida State Uni- dry terrestrial site, so it opened up just an versity was called in to examine the bones. incredible number of possible windows.”

“It was certainly the nastiest looking place Dr. Doran could tell right away that the I’d probably ever seen,” says Glen Doran, lead bones were Native American, and were archaeologist at the Windover site. “There perhaps 1,000 years old or more. After his were a couple of long rows, spoil banks of preliminary assessment of the bones, car-

Ninety-one of the skulls discovered at Windover contained intact brain matter. Photo courtesy of Glen Doran.

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 11 bon dating was performed on them. Ev- eryone, including Doran, was shocked by the results.

The human remains uncovered at the Win- dover site were between 7,000 and 8,000 years old, making them 3,200 years older than King Tutankhamen and 2,000 years older than the Great Pyramids of Egypt.

It took two years to raise the money to do a systematic excavation of the Windover site. Three archaeological “digs” were conducted at Windover between 1984 and 1986. An elaborate well point system was set up to drain the pond, while keeping it from becoming too dry. The astounding discoveries that were made attracted in- ternational attention.

“I was just extremely lucky to be living here when that find was made, because that was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to work on a dig like that,” says Vera Zim- merman of the Indian River Anthropologi- cal Society. “We had people coming in from all over the world. They had a conference here. It was just outstanding. It told them things that they didn’t know about the Ar- chaic Period. They had believed before that people were still living a pretty nomadic lifestyle, following game. The Windover Dig showed they were living a fairly settled village life. It was the beginning of the earliest life settlements.”

Nearly 200 separate, intact burials were excavated at the Windover site. With only a couple of exceptions, the bodies had been ritualistically buried and placed in the same fetal position, lying on the left side. The discovered that ninety-one of the skulls un- heads were pointed west, with their faces covered contained intact brain matter. The to the north. The deceased were wrapped stomach contents of one ancient woman in what archaeologists believe is the oldest indicated that her last meal consisted of existing woven fabric in the world. Several fish and berries. DNA tests on the ancient branches were lashed together to form a remains proved that the same families tripod that held each body submerged un- used the site as a burial ground for more derwater, creating a pond cemetery. than a century. The anaerobic environment of the peat Other discoveries at the Windover Dig help bog combined with a remarkably favorable add to our understanding of prehistoric Ph balance in the pond allowed for amaz- people. The damaged and diseased condi- ingly well preserved burials. Archaeologists tion of some of the bones indicated that in-

12 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology In the early stages of excavation, an elaborate well point system was used to drain the pond. Photo courtesy of Glen Doran. capacitated people of this tribe were cared “The bottle gourd is one of my favorites,” for over long periods of time, even though says Doran. “It is what’s referred to as a they could not participate in activities es- semi-domesticate. It is something that re- sential to the survival of the group, such as ally doesn’t do well by itself, as a weed. It hunting and fishing. The atlatl was a tool usually has to have some human interven- that helped hunters to throw their spears tion to keep it going, to propagate it. It was great distances with more strength and ac- with a burial, and there are a couple of oth- curacy. Bottle gourds were used as vessels er small fragments of bottle gourds from thousands of years before the creation of the site. It actually pushed the date of bot- pottery, demonstrating that the prehistor- tle gourds back in North America by about ic people of Windover were horticulturalists 2,000 years.” as well as agriculturalists.

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 13 Artist Brian Owens, best known for the bronze St. Augustine Foot Soldiers Monument, creating the Windover Woman sculpture. Photo by Jon White.

Life for the prehistoric people of Florida was thropology department. “The more individ- difficult. About half of the remains found uals with different interests that branch out at Windover were children, and the oldest and look at different things, access different people found were about 60. We have no diseases, different health statuses, demo- way of knowing what their spiritual beliefs graphics, growth and development, every were, but the ritualistic burials suggest that new study really does broaden the general the people of Windover probably believed picture of the whole population.” in an afterlife. Although they lived more than 7,000 years ago, the people of Windo- DNA testing was in its infancy when the ver had fully developed brains. Windover Dig took place, and other tech- nological advancements have been made. “They resembled modern people, experi- Study of the Windover people and artifacts encing the same grief we feel at the pass- will continue to provide new information ing of a loved one,” says Doran. about our prehistoric past.

The discovery of the Windover site happened “There are a lot of different kinds of tech- 35 years ago. For the past three decades, niques that archaeologists are using these most of the Windover remains and artifacts days,” says Rochelle Marrinan, Windover ar- have been housed at Florida State University chaeologist and chair of the FSU anthropol- in Tallahassee. During that time, outstanding ogy department. “At the moment, I think the research has been done that expands our most pressing need is the genetic one. We’re understanding of Archaic Age people. hopeful that there will be new techniques that will allow us to retrieve material that can “It’s really done a good job in terms of inter- be genetically used to sequence this popula- acting faculty, undergraduate, and graduate tion, each individual if possible. That will give students, because everyone’s interested in us the most information, and also show their slightly different things,” says Geoffrey Thom- relatedness to others in Florida.” as, specialist faculty member in the FSU an-

14 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology The only comprehensive public exhibition Today, the Windover site is located behind exploring the discoveries at Windover is in thick brush, under about a meter of water. the Brevard Museum of History and Natu- While it is unlikely that any future excava- ral Science in Cocoa, home of the Florida tions will be done there, the material first Historical Society Archaeological Institute. discovered 35 years ago will continue to ed- The recently improved and expanded Peo- ucate, inform, and inspire. ple of Windover exhibition includes new in- terpretative panels, a new video presenta- For more information about the Windover tion, the new Windover Woman sculpture, Archaeological Site, watch episode 4 of the a refreshed recreation of the archaeological public television series The Florida Histor- dig, and a new interactive lab with “hands- ical Society Presents: Florida Frontiers at: on” activities. https://myfloridahistory.org/frontiers/ television/episode/4 “For every hour an archaeologist spends in the field, approximately five or six hours are spent in the lab,” says Patrisha L. Mey- ers, professor of anthropology at Seminole State College and director of the Brevard Museum and FHSAI during the exhibit re- fresh. “With a background in human osteol- ogy, I have spent a great many hours in the lab. I am excited to be using this experience to design hands-on activities, which will allow visitors to discover how the secrets of the Windover population were revealed through osteological analysis.”

Using some of the same forensic recon- A burial wrapped in textile is removed from the struction techniques used to identify mod- Windover site. Photo courtesy of R. Brunck. ern crime victims from skeletal remains, artist Brian Owens created the incredibly realistic Windover Woman sculpture.

“We have a skull, but we have no accurate information on the soft tissue that lived on top of it, so we just made intelligent guesses,” says Owens. “We looked at eth- nic groups that existed in the area where we presume her people migrated from and looked at the data for them, and then selected numbers that we thought made sense. We have a fairly good idea of how she looks. It’s an interpretation, but it’s a very intelligent interpretation.”

Owens had measurements and comput- er generated images created from scans of a Windover skull to guide his work. The resulting bust sculpture allows museum visitors to look into the eyes of a prehistoric Floridian.

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 15 A CONVERSATION WITH ARCHAEOLOGIST AND AUTHOR JERALD T. MILANICH

Photo by Jon White.

Eminent historical archaeologist Dr. Jerald T. Milanich has served on the advisory board of the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute (FHSAI) since its incep- tion in 2014. Dr. Milanich now lives in New York, but he came by the FHSAI headquar- ters at the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science in Cocoa to celebrate the release of his latest book Handfuls of History: Stories about Florida’s Past. We took the opportunity to interview Dr. Milanich about a wide variety of archaeology topics. The following is a brief excerpt of that discussion.

FHSAI: There is a lot of exciting archaeology Florida, Florida Atlantic, North Florida, Cen- going on in Florida right now. Are you hope- tral Florida, FSU has the oldest one, the Uni- ful for the future of archaeology in Florida? versity of Florida, other places. So there are hundreds of graduate students working in JTM: When I started out in archaeology as archaeology, writing theses and disserta- an undergraduate in an archaeology field tions. They are so much more sophisticated school that was in the Lake Okeechobee than I ever was as a graduate student. There basin, probably there were a double hand- are new techniques that we’ve never had. ful of professional archaeologists working in Aerial remote sensing, kinds of remote sens- the state. Now there’s well over a hundred. ing where you pull magic machines across But even more important, there are archae- the ground and they help you see what’s ological programs at the University of West underneath it. New ways of recording data.

16 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology New kinds of analysis, looking at the bones it was excavated in modern times by Glen of the animals that people ate. Doran up at Florida State University. The material that we see out of there, wood, I love to go to the annual meeting of the fabrics, bone, the kinds of artifacts that you Florida Anthropological Society where the don’t find preserved usually in archaeologi- students and others are presenting their cal sites. Those materials were preserved, of papers. It’s just amazing to me how much course, in muck, in a pond. It’s one of my more we know than we knew 50 years ago all-time favorites. when I was just getting started. I’m thrilled about what’s going on, and the future is I worked on a site in Columbia County, back bright indeed. Archaeology in Florida, like in the 1970s, the McKeithen Weeden Island history, is flourishing. One of the things we site. There, we went in thinking we were have in Florida is a long tradition going back going to excavate three mounds, and see into the 1940s and ‘50s of archaeologists one period, the next period, the next peri- and historians collaborating on research, od, and we discovered that all three func- and that continues to this day. I love see- tioned at the same time, and were part of ing it. I’m thrilled that I got to be a part of one large burial or charnel ritual. Since we this, and helping to train the students. Now published that, someone has now used a

The reconstructed Apalachee Council House in Tallahassee. Photo courtesy of Mission San Luis.

I have students, who have got their PhDs, new archaeological technique, LiDAR (Light and they have students who have their Detection and Ranging), one of those mag- PhDs, and they have students who have ic aerial devices to take photographs of the their PhDs, so I have, like, great-grandkids ground where you can see through veg- in archaeology. Things are indeed very good etation and everything. There was a large for archaeology in our state. circle encompassing the area within these three mounds, about the size of half a foot- FHSAI: What are some of the archeolog- ball field. We had never recognized that. ical discoveries in Florida that you find We think now that maybe there had been most intriguing? a plaza for some sort of ballgame or something in the middle of the village. JTM: In the last few decades, the Windover site in Brevard County is just a world class Recently, there have also been wonderful archaeological site and a world class ar- discoveries in the Aucilla River; Paleo-Indi- chaeological discovery. It’s wonderful that ans, some of the oldest sites in the eastern

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 17 United States. Fourteen thousand or so years covered Spanish colonial burials in St. Au- ago it was much drier in Florida than now. gustine. That excavation was underway as Our sea levels were much lower. The water this magazine went to print.] level in springs and rivers was much lower, or sometimes non-existent. So, the Indians FHSAI: The Miami Circle is one of Florida’s and the animals would go to water holes, most famous ancient archaeological sites. especially limestone bottomed streams and In your new book Handfuls of History: Sto- sinkholes in north Florida, to get water. Of ries about Florida’s Past, you argue that this course, that was a great place to hunt, and site is perhaps not so ancient. to camp. So, at Aucilla, they’re finding evidence that fauna, in some cases the large el- JTM: They don’t like me a lot in Miami. ephants that were here at the end of the Ice When I first was asked by the state to go Age, were hunted. When the people weren’t down there, I’ll never forget. I was on the air- there, the elephants were there. They have plane going down. I was handed a photo- large quantities of elephant dung preserved graph of the Miami Circle, and I said, “What under water there. We’re going to learn so an extraordinary discovery. What is that big much from sites like this. rectangular thing that looks like a 4x8 piece

Two more wonderful discoveries have happened in the last year. One is up in the Pen- sacola area, where they’ve found the missing village of de Luna, an expedition from 1559 that flopped, but still, the Spaniards had been in the area of Pensacola for about two years. People have looked for that village forever, and it just turned up. It’s en- hanced by the discovery off shore, under water, of some of the ships that brought the supplies and the people of the Luna expedition. The State of Florida and now the Uni- versity of West Florida have done a spectacular job excavating those sites, and we have A stone stele with a French symbol was found on a ship- so much information. wreck off of Cape Canaveral, along with 16th century can- nons. Photo courtesy of Global Marine Excavations, Inc.

The last one I’ll mention is just within the of plywood, right on the perpendicular bi- last few months. The media accounts of sector of the interior of the circle?”--which the discovery of a ship off Cape Canaveral, is about 28 feet in diameter. Three state of- a wrecked ship. Many of us believe that it’s ficials looked at one another and they said, probably the missing 1564 flagship of Jean “It’s a septic tank,” and I said, “What?” I think Ribault, the Frenchman who was responsi- at that point, the research question should ble, ultimately, for the Fort Caroline French have been, how did that sceptic tank get colony on the St. Johns River. He got caught there? Did it go with the apartments that in a hurricane and washed ashore. But they were built in the 1940s? Did it go with one showed in the media, a picture of this huge of the earlier Brickell houses that was there? stone stele, just like the ones that appear in Was there perhaps, a circular structure of engravings of the colony. So, here was one some kind built over that sceptic tank? It on Ribault’s ship—we think Ribault’s ship— turns out that in south Florida in the past that wrecked right here in Brevard County. when they had sceptic tanks, and they Archaeology is alive and well in Florida. were put into limestone, you couldn’t have a drain field because the effluent wouldn’t [Note: This discussion took place just ten drain through the limestone. So, you simply days before archaeologist Carl Halbirt dis- let the septic tank fill up, then the ground

18 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology would get wet around it, and when it got full, you had the truck come in and pump it out. Well, if you were going to run an Inn or a boarding house, as they did at one of the Brickell houses, built about 1910 at that site, right beside where that sceptic tank is, would you perhaps cover it with a little per- gola or round structure to keep your guests who are all dressed up, from walking out and sinking into the ground? So, I started looking for photographs.

As I note in the article in the book, Jack Horkheimer, who used to host the show Jerry Milanich speaking at the Library of Florida about astronomy, “Star Gazer,” called me History in Cocoa. Photo courtesy of the Florida and said, “You know, I was out to that site, Historical Society. and something’s funny.” Someone sent him a postcard that they got on EBay, and tank is. I think what needs to be done still, he said, “Does this show anything from the to this day, is someone to go back and do site?” I wasn’t sure. So, I started doing my re- more research there, to try to answer the search and buying postcards that showed question of when that septic tank was put that area, and sure enough, one of them in, and what was it attached to. Clearly, may show a round structure that’s appar- that’s not a very popular idea, especially to ently close to or on top of where that septic people in Miami who worked so hard to get

The Miami Circle and septic tank. Photo courtesy of the Florida Division of Historical Resources.

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 19 the government to buy the land and pre- one of their goals was to establish a system serve the site. of missions to teach Catholicism to the indigenous people. How was that effort re- What we sometimes forget about that site, ceived? is the circle is one little thing. Indeed, in the nineteenth century, people recognized JTM: As you know, over the last 20 years or that there was a huge complex of shell so, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about mounds. There were burial mounds, village missions. When I started my graduate ca- areas, all on both sides of the mouth of the reer back in the late ‘60s, I got a PhD in 1971, Miami River. The village was known in the I wasn’t interested in missions because I sixteenth century as Tequesta. All that’s left was kind of taught that we know all about of this huge, complex archaeological site is them. There was a map, here were the mis- that little bit that’s now preserved in the Mi- sions. As it turns out, we knew very little ami Circle park area. So, whatever happens, compared to what is known now. There are we preserve that, I think that’s a good thing many people working on mission archaeol- for the public, and certainly for our under- ogy and history. What we’ve learned is that standing of the past. the initial story, that the missions were established along a road that went from St. FHSAI: One of the historic sites that peo- Augustine, west across Florida, essentially ple can enjoy today in north Florida is the following (what is now) the highway U.S. 90 reconstructed Mission San Luis and the to Tallahassee, that missions were placed Apalachee Council house there. When the around that, is wrong. Spanish first came to Florida in the 1500s,

The reconstructed Catholic church at Mission San Luis in Tallahassee. Photo courtesy of Mission San Luis.

20 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology As one of my students found out, John Worth, who’s now a professor at the Univer- sity of West Florida, John found out that the Rebellion of 1656 that took place among the mission Indians in north Florida, result- ed in the Spaniards coming in and reorga- nizing the Timucua missions. They moved things all around. So, originally before 1656, we now know there were many, many tens of missions. They went from up in south Georgia down into the southern part of north Florida, down into Marion County and below. Over time, as diseases deci- mated a lot of the Indians, the Indians had provided labor for the Spanish colonists in St. Augustine, it became necessary for the Spaniards to consolidate missions and put them along that trail.

Also, the Spaniards go all the way to south- west Florida, to Lee County, and try to establish a mission at Mound Key, a famous Calusa Indian site down there. They also try to establish three missions, about 1895, in the Avon Park, Kissimmee area. All of those flopped. Then, as you know, beginning as early as 1685, the English colonists who are The cover of Dr. Milanich’s new book. Photo up in the Carolinas, and who wanted to kick courtesy of Florida Historical Society Press. the Spanish out of Spanish Florida, began to arm Indians to raid missions. They raided one on the Suwannee River, in north Flor- Indian Council House, huge thing, and also ida. By 1702, they were raiding down into the Chief’s House, and so at San Luis they re- north Florida, and the huge raid took place constructed these. It’s a marvelous place to in Apalachee. The Catholic Indians were go and visit. If you want to get married, you burned at the stake, some of them were can get married in the reconstructed mis- flayed alive. Several thousand were taken sion church. That and St. Augustine are two back and sold into slavery in the Carolinas. of my favorite places to visit in all of Florida. That was the beginning of the end of the mission system across north Florida. Many of the survivors either fled west to Pensacola Dr. Jerald T. Milanich is Curator Emeritus and even out into Louisiana. Others moved of Archaeology at the Florida Museum across to missions around St. Augustine, but of Natural History, Emeritus Professor of it was the end of this 200 plus year period of Anthropology at the University of Florida, the Florida missions. and one of the most respected historical archaeologists in the state. The site near Tallahassee, Mission San Luis, is simply a spectacular place to visit. The head archaeologist there, Bonnie McEwan, and her staff and her exhibits people, rebuilt the mission church as it looked in the 1650s, and ‘60s, and ‘70s. Another archaeologist, Gary Shapiro, who worked there, found this giant

Archaeologist and anthropology professor Keith Ashley examines a piece of pottery between 1,200 and 1,500 years old. University of North Florida.

About 1,000 years ago, agricultural communities were established in what would become the Southeastern and Mid- western United States, and what is called the Mississippian culture flourished.

Keith Ashley is an archaeologist and research coordinator at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Ashley’s research is demonstrating a link between Native Floridians and the thriving Mississippian culture.

26 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology Peninsular Florida is excluded from maps of the Mississippian World, but archaeological evidence indicates that trade extended into Northeast Florida. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

“Mississippian World is a term that we’ve kind On maps of the Mississippian World, pen- of superimposed as archaeologists,” says Ash- insular Florida is excluded. New archae- ley. “Basically these were Chieftain level groups, ological evidence uncovered by Ashley meaning that they had institutionalized in- demonstrates that Native Americans living equality. They had chiefs who controlled more in Northeast Florida were part of an exten- than one village. They were involved in intensive trade network that extended to pres- sive maize agriculture. They were involved in ent day St. Louis. these far flung trade and exchange networks, and they had these large mound complexes “The Mississippian World’s delineating with platform mounds that probably were the groups were intensive maize agricultural- platforms for chiefly residence.” ists, and the groups here weren’t,” says Ash-

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 27 ley. “But they were clearly involved in inter- action networks and trade with them.”

In addition to growing maize, or corn, the Mississippian cultures were known for their construction of platform mounds, on which they would build houses, towns, temples, and burial buildings. The largest chiefdom of the Mississippian World was at a ceremonial complex at Cahokia, located near present day Collinsville, Illinois, across the Missis- sippi River from St. Louis, Missouri.

“Cahokia probably sprang up about 1000 AD, and then by about 1250 it’s in decline and by 1300 it’s gone,” says Ashley. “In its wake, what you see are a lot of other rival chiefdoms that sprout up. You see these THESE SMALL chiefdoms rise and fall throughout the area. Sometimes they group together, other LITTLE EAR times they just break down, so it’s a really “ dynamic landscape.” PIECES MAY- Ashley says that the St. Johns culture of Northeast Florida roughly coincides with BE A COUPLE the Mississippian World. The St. Johns Peri- od begins about 500 AD, and continues un- OF INCHES IN til European contact, 1,000 years later. “They’re fishers, collectors, hunters,” says SIZE, LOOK Ashley. “The people in Northeastern Florida really gravitate to the Mississippian interac- LIKE A FACE.” tion network and become part of it. I think they have a resource that people in the landlocked areas of Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri want, and that’s shell.”

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Clar- ence B. Moore documented some significant archaeological sites in Florida. Moore did much of his work in the Jacksonville area, excavating the Grant Mound and the Shields Mound, where he uncovered some spectacular artifacts. Some of the artifacts were made with copper, mica, galena, and other minerals common in the Mississippi- an World, but not Florida.

Ashley believes that these artifacts, including a pair of copper ear decorations found by Moore at the Grant Mound, help to prove contact between Florida natives

28 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology This painting by Theodore Morris depicts an Indian family leaving a coastal village in Northeast Florida after engaging in trade. Image courtesy of Florida Historical Society Press.

and other Native Americans who were In between the St. Johns culture Indians very distant geographically. and the Mississippian Indians, was a pock- et of hunter gatherers who also had con- “These small little ear pieces maybe a couple tact with Northeast Florida residents about of inches in size, look like a face,” says Ash- 1,000 years ago. ley. “They would have had a long nose pul- truding from them. So far, we’ve only found Chemical analysis of distinctive pot- seven complete pairs of those in copper in tery found near Jacksonville shows that the entire United States, and all of them, we some comes from central Georgia, while believe, are manufactured at Cahokia.” the design was also used adopted by Native Floridians. Ashley has expanded on the information gathered by Moore in Jacksonville, discov- “Maybe female potters, who learn how to ering distinctive pottery and other artifacts make Okmulgee pottery, marry into St. that further support the idea of Native Flo- Johns communities in Jacksonville, and ridians interacting with distant neighbors to they bring their native pottery technology the north. with them.”

“We found a small little point called a Ca- hokia Point near Shields Mound,” Ashley says. “We had archaeologists from Cahokia look at it, and they told us that, yes, this is a Cahokia point, and it looked like any point that they would find at Cahokia.”

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 29 THE APALACHEE AT MISSION SAN LUIS WITH: KARIN STANFORD

The reconstructed Apalachee Council House is part of the Mission San Luis Living History Museum in Tallahassee. Florida Memory.

30 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology The Apalachee tribe lived in Florida’s Panhandle, and by the 1500s they had developed a sophisticated culture with farming villages and ceremonial centers. Anhaica, the Apalachee capital, was located near present day Tallahassee.

The Apalachee were part of an extensive trade network that extended north to the Great Lakes and west to present day Okla- homa. The Florida tribe would trade shells, shark’s teeth, and smoked fish for copper, mica, and other minerals not found in their native land.

“They were known by Indian tribes in south Florida and elsewhere as rich and powerful, and a lot of it had to do with the location here in the red hills of Tallahassee,” says Karin Stanford, program supervisor at Mis- sion San Luis Living History Museum.

“The soil is extremely good for growing food. So you had a group of Indians who didn’t have to travel with the game, who could remain in place, and have enough food. In later years when the Spanish were Spanish settlers and Apalachee converts would here, they basically kept St. Augustine alive. stand for masses held in the Catholic church at They were the breadbasket for La Florida. Mission San Luis. Photo from Mission San Luis. They were also fierce warriors, and they were known for that, too.”

The first contact that the Apalachee had The tribe had developed such an ef- with Europeans came on July 15, 1528, fective method of preserving food that when Spanish conquistador Pánfilo they were able to feed de Soto’s 600 Narváez and his men attempted to over- men and 220 horses for 5 months. In the power the Florida natives. That attack was spring of 1540, the Spanish moved on, successfully repelled. continuing their search for gold in present day Georgia. In 1539, Hernando de Soto and his men landed on the Gulf Coast of Florida and In 1633, two friars established the first traveled through the center of the state, Catholic missions in Apalachee territory, looking for gold and killing any natives they and Spanish soldiers soon followed. The encountered along the way. Hearing that Apalachee people became citizens of the Apalachee might have gold, the expe- Spain by accepting Christianity. dition traveled west to Anhaica. By 1656, Mission San Luis was established This time, the Spanish were able to cap- at the seat of Apalachee power, solidify- ture the Apalachee capital. ing a religious, military, and

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 31 economic alliance. In the final decades of the 1600s, Spanish families joined the settlement of 1,400 Apalachee at Mission San Luis.

A Franciscan church and a defensive fort were built to serve both the native and Spanish occupants of San Luis de Talimali. The most impressive structure in the town was the Apalachee Council House. A reconstruction of the council house is part of the Mission San Luis Living History Museum in Tallahassee.

The Apalachee Council House is a large, round building with a thatched, sloped roof that touches the ground. Sleeping alcoves surrounding the central space allowed the Apalachee Chief to entertain visitors traveling from great distances. An oculus in the ceiling illuminates the interior of the structure. Thousands of people could gather inside.

San Luis de Talimali was named the western capital of Spanish Florida from 1656 to On July 1, 1704, the Spanish and their 1704, until the residents decided to burn Apalachee allies burned down Mission their settlement to the ground. San Luis, to keep it from being captured by the English. By 1702, England and Spain were at war. The English began destroying Catholic mis- Some of the Apalachee fled to St. Au- sions in Florida as a way of undermining gustine with the Spanish. Others sur- Spanish control. With English forces ap- rendered to the British. Another group proaching San Luis de Talimali, the Spanish traveled west to Pensacola, continued and the Apalachee evacuated the women to French controlled Mobile, eventually and children from their shared settlement. settling in Louisiana.

“They knew the end was near,” says Stan- The dispersed Apalachee were lost to his- ford. “In the spring of 1704, the records tory until the 1990s, when records uncov- show that for the first time in thousands ered in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, identified of years, the Apalachee did not plant corn. a small group of people there as descen- They knew that they could be here to sew dants of Apalachee from Florida’s Mission it, but not to reap.” San Luis.

32 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology The interior of the Apalachee Council House could hold thousands of people for important gatherings. Photo courtesy of Mission San Luis.

They knew the “end was near.”

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 33 ARCHAEOLOGICAL RUINS IN NEW SMYRNA BEACH WITH: DOT MOORE

The exact origin of the Old Fort Ruins in downtown New Smyrna Beach are unknown, and have led to much speculation over the years. Photo courtesy of Visit Florida.

Some of the most interesting and controversial architectural ruins in Florida are in New Smyrna Beach.

In 1767, Scottish physician Andrew Turnbull established the colony of New Smyrnea, south of St. Augustine. Today, the town is known as New Smyrna Beach. Turnbull created his settlement during Florida’s British period which lasted twenty years, from 1763 to 1783. Dot Moore spent more than 30 years working with professional archaeologists and historians, uncovering historic sites and artifacts in New Smyrna.

“Dr. Andrew Turnbull, along with a partner, William Duncan, received large land grants from the British government in 1766,” Moore says. “Turnbull himself was appointed plantation man- ager of these, and he had all the responsibilities of recruiting people, hiring people, buying slaves, providing whatever resources that were needed to establish the Smyrnea settlement, as it was called by the British.”

Turnbull arranged to bring Greek, Minorcan, and Italian settlers to New Smyrna in 1767. He envisioned a colony that would grow cotton and other crops, to trade with Great Britain. The

34 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology ships carrying the settlers were plagued with The Sugar Mill Ruins are located a few miles rough weather and sickness, and 148 of the from downtown New Smyrna, in another 1,403 people aboard died before the ships public park. Destroyed in 1835 during the reached Florida. Second Seminole War, the remaining round- ed arches and coquina walls of the building Traditionally, Turnbull is remembered as a have led to some creative, but not historically harsh and tyrannical administrator, but Moore accurate, speculation. says that more recent scholarship is providing a more balanced perspective of him. “That structure was built by a man named William Kimball for wealthy New York inves- “Recent documentation found in Dundee, tors,” says Moore. “Their hope was to make a Scotland archives include Turnbull’s letters fortune, of course, by processing sugar cane to Sir William Duncan, his partner, and throw into sugar. The factory was built about 1830, a new light on the care he took with some but it was destroyed by the end of 1835. It was of his indentured colonists,” says Moore. “Lots never rebuilt as a sugar factory.” of ledger sheets include the equipment and supplies that he bought for these people. He Unsupported speculation has linked the two faced many problems here, including political sets of ruins in New Smyrna Beach, with some intrigue from the governor in St. Augustine, people believing that the downtown ruins and the Revolutionary War. There was a lot of were a Spanish fort, and the Sugar Mill Ruins sickness and drought, which caused death a Catholic mission. and failure of crops.” “There’s even a tale of some people insisting The Old Fort Ruins are located in downtown that a tunnel was built underground from this New Smyrna Beach. What can be seen today area downtown, all the way out to the sugar looks like a series of stone walls with no roof. mill, which is not quite plausible given the While the site is called the Old Fort Ruins, no water table here,” says Moore. one is really sure what this structure was. “We think based on some documentation in a Both the Old Fort Ruins and the Sugar Mill Ru- letter that Turnbull wrote to Sir William Dun- ins continue to inspire modern imaginations. can, that it was the beginning of a mansion house for Duncan,” says Moore. “This was on Duncan’s 20,000 acres, Turnbull’s was a little bit north of here.”

While it is generally accepted that the structure was built as part of Turnbull’s Smyrnea settlement, there have been many theories over the years regarding the Old Fort Ruins.

“Some believe it was an English fort, some believe it was a Spanish fort. Some believe that it was not associated with Turnbull, it was maybe built by Ambrose Hull who was the next The Sugar Mill Ruins in New Smyrna Beach date from the 1830s. The building was destroyed during the Second landowner after Turnbull left in 1777. Ambrose Seminole War. Photo courtesy of Visit Florida. Hull came in 1801, and does record building a large stone house on a mound. This area is part of a prehistoric Indian midden dating to the St. Johns II period, from about 500 AD to 1565 AD. But we’re not 100 percent sure of any theories, even the fact that it could be Turn- bull’s manor house.”

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 35 BOOKS FROM THE FLORIDA HISTORICAL SOCIETY ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE AND FHS PRESS

HANDFULS OF HISTORY: STORIES ABOUT FLORIDA’S PAST Jerald T. Milanich $14.95

Dr. Jerald T. Milanich is one of the most respected historical archaeologists in the state. In this book, Dr. Milanich discusses pre-Columbian Florida, Colonial Period people and events, and the nineteenth century shipwreck of the steamship City of Vera Cruz. Dr. Milanich explores the origins of archaeology in Florida with Clarence B. Moore, and offers ad- vice to future archaeologists. He may even stir up some controversy as he questions the authenticity of the Miami Circle.

SEARCHING SAND & SURF: THE ORIGINS OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN FLORIDA Rachel K. Wentz $24.95

Searching Sand and Surf explores the roots of modern archaeology in the state, as seen through articles published in the Florida Historical Quarterly. Witness the evolution of contemporary archaeology in Flor- ida and trace the development of the discipline through some of its most influential voices. Introduction by Kathleen Deagan.

FLORIDA & CARIBBEAN NATIVE PEOPLE Paintings by Theodore Morris $39.95 (8.5 X 11 COLOR)

For more than ten thousand years before Ponce de León gave Florida its name, there were thriving, complex societies of indigenous people living here. Theodore Morris is the preeminent painter of Florida’s native people, and he now adds Caribbean culture to his repertoire. Leading archaeologists provide commentary.

36 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology ORDER THESE BOOKS AND MANY MORE AT FLORIDABOOKS.NET

LIFE AND DEATH AT WINDOVER: EXCAVATIONS OF A 7,000 YEAR-OLD POND CEMETERY Rachel K. Wentz $14.95

“Windover is truly a unique site that continues to astonish. Dr. Wentz does a wonderful job of telling the two stories of Windover. One is the story of the people who lived in the area and are buried in the pond. The other story introduces you to the amazing people and circumstances which made the excavation possible. From its discovery by a backhoe operator and a concerned and interested landowner to the crew who worked on the project, Wentz effectively captures the stories of a fascinating archaeological discovery.” Dr. Glen H. Doran Principal Archaeolo- gist of the Windover site.

CHASING BONES: AN ARCHAEOLOGIST’S PURSUIT OF SKELETONS Rachel K. Wentz $14.95

Former FPAN East Central Region Director Rachel K. Wentz did most of her graduate work focusing on the ancient skeletons from Florida’s Windover Site, but in this book she also takes us to fascinating archaeological sites in England, Italy, Ukraine and the Caribbean before coming back to Florida.

FRENCH FLORIDA Benjamin DiBiase $39.95 (8.5 X 11)

The first English translation of French historian Charles de La Roncière’s Floride Française: Scénes de la Vie Indienne (1928): a fascinating narrative history of the first French settlements in Florida along with hand-col- ored reproductions of Dutch engraver Theodore deBry’s famous images of Indian life.

Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 37 38 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology Adventures in Florida Archaeology | 39 40 | Adventures in Florida Archaeology