ing 2 rat 0 Y eb ea l r e s C Friends of the Randell Research Center December 2016 • Vol. 15, No. 4 A Tour of the Islands of Pine Island Sound: A Geological, Archaeological, and Historical Perspective Part 13: Buck Key by Denége Patterson Buck Key is a former barrier island, now isolated from the Gulf of Mexico by the southern part of Captiva Island. The two islands are separated by Roosevelt Channel. Its topogra- phy consists of beach ridges, fl at, open sunny areas in the center of the island, and lowland mangrove forests at its edges. Three archaeological sites exceed ten feet in elevation. Its tropical hardwood hammocks include rare, endangered, and threatened species of plants and animals growing far more lushly than they would in other environments, including Captiva Island, left, and Buck Key, right center. In the foreground the tropical habitats of the Florida Keys. is the western tip of Sanibel Island and the Sanibel-Captiva Geologists describe Buck Key as a “relict emergent barrier bridge spanning Wulfert Channel. (Photo by R. Mayhew.) island,” where relict means surviving from an earlier period. eroded and covered with what appeared to be storm-derived The northern part of Buck Key has the typical characteristics shell. One activity area showed evidence of shell tool produc- of a barrier-island washover fan while the southern end has tion in various stages. A radiocarbon date for that area yielded apparent fi nger ridges, also known as storm ridges. According a range between A.D. 610 and 845, a time when a similar shell to geologists, the Buck Key land formation accumulated tool-manufacturing site is known on Useppa Island. Animal mainly between ca. A.D. 440 and 1010. bone artifacts were also found, some related to fi shing. Three habitation sites show evidence of discrete, functional Comparing these samples to other pieces of worked bone areas that could have been a Calusa village, including a living from sites in Pine Island Sound helped archaeologists develop area, a possible ceremonial area, and an activity area for a classifi cation system for bone artifacts in fi shing cultures. toolmaking. The native people left evidence of post hole The archaeobotanical fi nds at Buck Key revealed a great locations, recognized from diff erences in color, texture, and deal of variety for such a small island, with at least fi ve plant constituents of the soil compared with the surrounding soil. communities represented. Remains of edible fruits of sea They also left evidence of cooking activities with burned shell, grapes indicate a coastal strand habitat. Charred twigs of red, ash, and animal bone, along with sand-tempered plain and black, and white mangrove trees, along with buttonwood, Glades Tooled potsherds. These occupational deposits were indicate that a mangrove zone was visited by island inhabit- ants. Tropical hardwood hammocks are represented by ThisThis briefbrief articlearticle isis excerptedexcerpted fromfrom thethe forthcomingforthcoming book,book, A Tour of the Islands of mastic trees. Some cultures use mastic sap for glue, and its AA TourTour ofof thethe IslandsIslands ofof Pine Island Sound, Florida: ripe fruits are prized for their fl avor. Myrsine was also recov- Their Geology, Archaeology, and History PinePine IslandIsland Sound,Sound, Florida,Florida, ered. Miccosukee and Creek Indians blend it with tobacco, byby DenégeDenége Patterson,Patterson, thethe though its use by Calusa people is uncertain. Transition area secondsecond volumevolume inin thethe RRC’sRRC’s Denége Patterson Edited by William Marquardt plants, including nicker bean, were represented, as were “Popular“Popular Series.”Series.” ThisThis color-color- upland pineland habitats. fullyfully illustratedillustrated bookbook willwill featurefeature 2424 ofof PinePine IslandIsland Buck Key’s occupation between A.D. 660 and 1430 means Sound’sSound’s mostmost interestinginteresting that people may have traded with, visited with, or made islands,islands, describingdescribing theirtheir geol-geol- decisions about their homeland along with people living at the ogy,ogy, archaeology,archaeology, andand his-his- same time on Pine Island, Josslyn Island, Burgess Island, tory.tory. (ISBN(ISBN 1-881448-19-3;1-881448-19-3; Mason Island, Useppa Island, Demere Key, and Galt Island. The viiiviii ++ 150150 pages,pages, withwith bibliogra-bibliogra- Randell Research Center burial ground at Buck Key was looted for many years by local phyphy andand index,index, $29.95,$29.95, availableavailable Popular Series Number 2 February,February, 2017.)2017.) 2017 residents in the Fort Myers area. Dozens if not hundreds of human remains were removed during the twentieth century. Continued on page 4 2 Heritage Monitoring Scouts at Pineland by Sara Ayers-Rigsby and Rachael Kangas On Thursday November 10, 2016, volunteers from the Randell Research Center met at Pineland with Florida Public Archaeology Network’s (FPAN) Southwest Region to learn about FPAN’s Heritage Monitoring Scouts. This program is a citizen science initiative to verify archaeological site information and to monitor sites at risk due to sea level rise. The workshop was led by Rachael Kangas, Public Archaeology Coordinator weather events. Rachael and Sara also New scouts ready to monitor! (Photo by S. for FPAN Southwest, and Sara Ayers- presented modules on photography and Ayers-Rigby.) Rigsby, Director of FPAN Southeast/ artifact identifi cation, although many of Southwest regions, and facilitated by this group of volunteers were already recorded into FPAN’s digital database Cindy Bear, Coordinator of Programs and well versed due to their years of service system. Services at the Center. Twelve long-time with the RRC. After evaluating Old Mound together, volunteers attended. As of 2013, the State of Florida had volunteers gathered similar data on their In the morning, the focus was on laws identifi ed 16,015 historical resources to own at other Pineland sites. Three that provide protection of archaeological be impacted by a 1-meter rise in sea level datasets were recorded. At the end of sites and how sites statewide will be and 34,786 with a 2-meter rise. Of the day, volunteers were given informa- impacted by sea level rise and major these, 2,908 are archaeological sites tion about other publicly accessible sites. (3,985 in the 2-meter scenario). Information contributed by these and The remainder include historic other Scouts will be critical to monitor- cemeteries and structures. ing the impact of sea level rise on Florida Pineland is one of many sites in archaeological and historical sites and southwest Florida with both for establishing baseline data for com- archaeological sites and historic parison in the event major weather buildings that will be impacted by events impact those sites. These RRC sea level rise. volunteers are now ready to be Scouts. Additional trainings will be presented in In the afternoon, volunteers 2017, with notice of these provided in practiced fi eld data gathering and advance to volunteers and members recording at Old Mound. They took of the Randell Research Center. photographs, checked the area for signs of erosion and presence of Would you like to get involved with visible artifacts, noted any impacts FPAN’s Heritage Monitoring Scouts of visitor traffi c, and documented Program? Visit http://fpangoingpublic. Historical resources in Florida that will be potential threats to the site. These blogspot.com/2016/09/hms-fl orida- impacted by sea level rise. (Image courtesy variables, indicators of the site’s condi- now-accepting-volunteers.html or Florida Division of Historical Resources.) tion under the HMS protocol, were email us at [email protected] ! New and Renewing Friends of the RRC September 1, 2016 to November 30, 2016 Please let us know of any errors or omissions. Thank you for your support. Supporting Contributing Mary M. & Ronald M. Craig & Bonnie Individual Members Members Members Koontz Woodward Austin J. Bell Janet E. Levy ($1,000-$4,999) ($100-$499) Family Members Dixie Colson Dr. & Mrs. Gregory J. Phyllis Faust Useppa Island Club Valerie Ballou Phyllis & William Dowd Lignelli Steve Hook Kate English Deborah Russell Kelly Bishop Jacob L. Miller Randall Johnson Stephen & Marion Hall & Elmer Wheeler Claudia Bringe John & Sue Miller Myrtle J. Orzalli Robert A. Wells, Jr. Robert D. Crum Gloria Shaw Bill & Rosemarie Carole L. Crumley John & Glenda Sirmans Hammond Student Members Don Cyzewski Maria & Michael Sweeney Casimir & Kathy Krul Liam Anusasananan William & Mary Cyzewski Randal L. Walker Stephen Noa * = donated goods Barbara & Carl Harcourt Victoria Winterer Amy S. Owen Regina Poppell and services. 3 An Update on the New Property by Cindy Bear As I described in our September newsletter, crews working on the parcel containing the Smith and Low Mounds have successfully taken down invasive trees that rendered the fi ve acres low in biodiversity. I wrote that we were watching for the emergence of natives and highlighted the comeback of several native plant species including pond- apple (Anona glabra) and coontie (Zamia integrefolia). What we did not anticipate was the response of herbaceous plants and vines to the sunlight and open space. In the photo you can barely see me amid the Caesar weed (Urena lobata) and Cindy Bear engulfed by recently sprouted those that cannot be pulled. These balsam apple (Momordica charantia) exotic invasive plants. (Photo by C. O’Connor.) targeted methods minimize the risk that blanketed at least two acres of the of spreading the plants to other areas parcel and went to seed in little more and decrease the need than 8 weeks. for herbicides. The As with other invasive exotic plants, four-day process was these two were thwarting the growth of successful and we native herbaceous plants. Those native are now entering a plants, American beautyberry monitoring and (Calacarpa americana), hogplum maintenance phase. (Ximenia americana L.), and white indigo Among the diversity of berry (Randia aculeata), among others, native plants emerging have multiple benefi ts to wildlife.