LOWER SUWANNEE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY 2009-2010 INVESTIGATIONS AT CAT ISLAND (8DI29), LITTLE BRADFORD ISLAND (8DI32), AND RICHARDS ISLAND (8LV137) Kenneth E. Sassaman, Paulette S. McFadden, and Micah P. Monés Technical Report 10 Laboratory of Southeastern Archaeology Department of Anthropology University of Florida LOWER SUWANNEE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY 2009-2010: INVESTIGATIONS AT CAT ISLAND (8DI29), LITTLE BRADFORD ISLAND (8DI32), AND RICHARDS ISLAND (8LV137) Kenneth E. Sassaman Paulette S. McFadden Micah P. Monés Technical Report 10 Laboratory of Southeastern Archaeology Department of Anthropology University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611 April 2011 © 2011 Department of Anthropology, University of Florida all rights reserved Cover photo: Micah Monés (left) and Neill Wallis (right) recording profiles of test excavation at Little Bradford Island (8DI32), June 2009. ii Management Summary Field investigations in 2009-2010 at Cat Island (8DI29), Little Bradford Island (8DI32), and Richards Island (8DI137) inaugurate a long-term partnership between the Laboratory of Southeast Archaeology (Department of Anthropology, University of Florida) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to inventory and assess archaeological resources in its Lower Suwannee and Cedar National Wildlife Refuges, as well as private and state inholdings contained therein. Fieldwork on the refuge was conducted under an Archaeological Resources Protection Act Permit (LSUWNWR042209) and Special Use Permit (41515). Limited subsurface testing at Cat Island and Little Bradford served the need to “rescue” samples from archaeological deposits that are actively eroding along the shorelines of low-relief islands, while reconnaissance survey of Richards Island initiated efforts to document archaeological deposits on elevated landforms such as relict dunes and hammocks. Research structuring rescue and reconnaissance efforts centers on the long- term relationships between environment and human settlement of the study area, notably changes in sea level that affected the inhabitability of land and access to resources of human value. Cat Island, a private inholding, contains evidence of human occupation spanning the past 4000+ years. Changes in the proportions of shellfish species register changes in the estuarine biome at the mouth of the Suwannee River from high to low salinity. Little Bradford Island, in contrast, contains a discrete component dating to about 2000 years ago with evidence for an intermediate level of salinity in the delta. Results from Richards Island suggest that elevated landforms in the study area have great potential for extensive midden deposits, as well as mounds and ridges dating as early as 2000 years ago. Although such sites are currently out of the zone of active erosion, they will eventually be subject to cutbank erosion and overwash flooding as sea level continues to rise over this century and beyond. Taken together, the results of these initial efforts underscore the enormous research potential of refuge sites and thus the pressing need to inventory and assess them before they are damaged any further. In addition to detailing the results of field investigations (Chapters 3-5), this report provides a framework for long-term investigations (Chapter 1), a summary of what is known about the archaeology of the greater study area (Chapter 2), and recommendations for a second phase of fieldwork (Chapter 6). iii Acknowledgments Archaeological investigations of Little Bradford Island and Richards Island were made possible through permits issued by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Ours thank go to Regional Historic Preservation Officer Richard Kanaski for assistance in obtaining an ARPA permit (LSUWNWR042209) and for his overall support and encouragement of this project. Lower Suwannee and Cedar Key Refuge Manager John W. Kasbohm issued a Special Use Permit (41515) and likewise lent considerable support to this project. Additional assistance was provided by Refuge Law Enforcement Officer Ken McCain. Access to Cat Island was granted by the landowner, Mike Crews, who also provided a copy of a report on earlier work by New South Associates, Inc. Author of that report, Steve Koski, lent his advice and assistance in designing our fieldwork on Cat Island. The insight and generosity of many other individuals ensured success with this project. Foremost is Silas “Si” Campbell, who not only donated an extensive collection of artifacts, bone, and shell he amassed over the years from two dozen eroded sites in the study area, but also escorted crew members of several field trips on his boat and hosted us at his home in Suwannee. Si’s observations on the distribution and condition of sites proved to be invaluable. Michelle LeFebvre, Neill Wallis, Meggan Blessing, Mark Donop, Asa Randall, Micah Monés, and Jason O’Donoughue each participated in at least one of several trips; Michelle and Neill were particularly active in two field visits with Si and recorded many of the observations he made as they traveled from site to site. An initial effort to utilize Seahorse Key as a base station was enabled by Professor Harvey Lillywhite and staff of the Seahorse Key Marine Lab, University of Florida. Temporary use of McClamory Key as an overnight camp was made possible through the good offices of Gloria Barber (Florida Division of State Lands), and Jenelle Brush (Florida Wildlife Commission). Mrs. Thelma McCain provided useful insights on Richards Island from her time residing there in her youth. Fieldwork for this project was ably executed by Micah Monés, Mark Donop, Michelle LeFebvre, Neill Wallis, Meggan Blessing, Paulette McFadden, and Elyse Anderson. Laboratory assistance was provided by Erin Harris-Parks and Elena Thomas. Ann Cordell of the Florida Museum of Natural History shared her considerable expertise on pottery typology, and Asa Randall of the Laboratory of Southeastern Archaeology lent his skill and advice on mapping and other graphics. Karen Jones of the Department of Anthropology handled the finances for this project with great care and efficiency. Most of the funding for this work was provided by the Hyatt and Cici Brown Endowment for Florida Archaeology. iv Contents Management Summary ...................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iv Chapter 1. Introduction and Research Orientation ..............................................................1 Chapter 2. Environmental and Archaeological Contexts...................................................19 Chapter 3. Cat Island (8DI29)............................................................................................57 Chapter 4. Little Bradford Island (8DI32) .........................................................................85 Chapter 5. Richards Island (8LV137)..............................................................................113 Chapter 6. Conclusions and Recommendations...............................................................133 References Cited ..............................................................................................................155 Appendix A: Catalog ......................................................................................................169 Appendix B: Radiocarbon Data......................................................................................191 v vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH ORIENTATION Kenneth E. Sassaman In 2009 the Laboratory of Southeastern Archaeology, Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, launched a long-term project to investigate the archaeological resources of the northern Gulf Coast of Florida from Cedar Key to Horseshoe Beach (Figure 1-1). This 47-km stretch of the Gulf Coast is occupied by the Lower Suwannee and Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuges, as well as private and state inholdings. Outside of the towns of Cedar Key to the south, Horseshoe Beach to the north, and Suwannee in between, this is an undeveloped tract of coastal Florida. Aboriginal communities since at least 4500 years ago—when sea-level reached near-modern stands—thrived in this region, at times perhaps exceeding in number the populations of today. Our knowledge of these ancient coastal dwellers is very limited, however, as little archaeological research has been conducted in the modern era. The Lower Suwannee Archaeological Survey (LSAS) aims to remedy this situation with a sustained program of investigations in accordance with federal mandates of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to inventory, assess, and manage its cultural, as well as its natural, resources. Reported herein are the results of an initial round of archaeological investigations in the study area. Specifically, this report includes results from testing at two sites exposed in the eroding shorelines of Cat Island (8DI29) and Little Bradford Island (8DI32) and reconnaissance survey on Richards Island (8LV137). The former two locations were chosen to address the pervasive problem of site destruction attending sea- level rise, while the latter location was chosen to initiate the long-term goal of inventorying and evaluating archaeological resources in locations that have seen limited or no attention to date, but will, in the longer-term future, become vulnerable to rising water. Both types of investigations are structured by a research framework centered on the relationship between