Mar 18
Barbara HinesUncategorized Christopher N. Hunt, Constitution Convention Museum State Park, Florida Archaeology Month, Florida Public Archaeology Network, March, Port St. Joe, St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, University of South Florida, Viva Florida
We hope that you will consider joining us for this awesome celebration of Port St. Joe’s rich archaeological and historical heritage! On Friday, March 29th from 6-7pm EST Christopher Hunt, a University of South Florida Graduate Research Assistant, will present ” A Forgotten Community: Archaeological Documentation of Old St. Joe”. This lecture will take place at St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve. On Saturday we will hold two separate Public Archaeology Day events! From 10am to 12pm EST we will be at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park and from 2pm to 4pm EST we will be at the Constitution Convention Museum State Park. Public Archaeology Days are a great time to bring your artifacts had have them identified, learn about archaeology in the area and pick up information about archaeology in Florida. Archaeologists will be on site to help identify artifacts and answer any questions. This is also a wonderful time to enjoy these beautiful state parks and nature preserve! We hope you will come out and join in our celebration of Florida Archaeology Month!
Mar 07
Barbara HinesUncategorized Archaeology Lesson Plans, Blountstown, FCAT, Florida Archaeology Month, Florida Public Archaeology Network, FPAN, Panhandle Pioneer Settlement, Sunshine State Standards
Are you a teacher, youth coordinator, camp director or otherwise involved with coordinating youth educational activities? If you would like to see archaeological education become a part of your existing curriculum, then we have a workshop just for you! On Saturday, March 16th from 10am to 4pm the Florida Public Archaeology Network and the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement will be offering a teacher workshop, “Archaeology in the Classroom: A Workshop for Educators”. This workshop will be held at the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement in Blountstown. Teachers associated with traditional and non-traditional education are encouraged to participate. Archaeology is an extremely multidisciplinary social science, providing opportunities for teachers and educators to incorporate archaeological information, methods, and ideas into science, history, language arts, math, social studies, and art curricula.
This workshop will provide educators with non-digging archaeology-based training, lesson plans, activities, and projects to expose students to the excitement of archaeology while teaching the basics. All information and curricula presented directly relate to FCAT requirements and Sunshine State Standards. While there, staff from the Pioneer Settlement will be offering teachers a tour of the museum as part of the training! Participants will receive numerous hands-on archaeological-themed lesson plans. Space is limited, so please call 850.595.0050 or email nbucchino@.uwf.edu to register. A recommended donation of $20 is requested to help cover the cost of materials and refreshments.
Feb 21
Barbara HinesUncategorized Florida Anthropological Society, Florida Archaeological Council, Florida Archaeology, Florida Archaeology Month, Florida Division of Historical Resources, Florida Public Archaeology Network, Juan Ponce de Leon, VIVA Florida 500
The front of the 2013 Florida Archaeology Month poster.
2013 marks the 500 year anniversary of Juan Ponce de Leon’s arrival on Florida shores and first interactions with Florida’s indigenous people. From that point on, Florida has seen the arrival of many people of different nationalities and cultures. The archaeology of Florida’s diverse legacy begins at these distant points and continues into the present day. Archaeologists seek to learn about the more recent past, like the beginnings of tourism and the development of urban centers, because it can also shed light on how our diverse heritage continues to impact and enrich our lives.
Florida’s diverse history and prehistory stretches back over 12,000 years. Every March, statewide programs and events celebrating Florida Archaeology Month are designed to encourage Floridians and visitors to learn more about the archaeology and history of the state, and to preserve these important parts of Florida’s rich cultural heritage. Plan to attend some of the many events throughout Florida during March 2013. You can find events in your area taking place during Florida Archaeology Month by visiting the Florida Archaeology Month website. A full listing of events taking place throughout the year can also be found on the events webpages of the regional centers of the Florida Public Archaeology Network or the Viva Florida 500 website.
Florida Archaeology Month is coordinated by the Florida Anthropological Society (FAS), the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN), the Florida Archaeological Council, Inc., and the Florida Division of Historical Resources. Additional sponsors include state and local museums, historical commissions, libraries, and public and private school systems. The 2013 Florida Archaeology Month poster is available through your local FAS Chapter, your regional FPAN office or can be acquired at various events sponsored by the participating organizations. You can find out more about Florida Archaeology Month by contacting your local FPAN regional center or your local FAS chapter.
Feb 13
Barbara HinesUncategorized Archaeological Context, Archaeology Public Outreach, Battlefield Archaeology, Battlefield on a Tarp, Civil War, FAS, Florida, Florida Anthropological Society, Florida Public Archaeology Network, FPAN, Olustee, Reenactments, St. Augustine, The Florida Anthropologist
We are so excited because it is again time for us to pack up and head to Olustee for the battle reenactment! We have been attending for the past few years, but we are excited to debut our new activity, Battlefield on a Tarp. The
Our new Battlefield on a Tarp activity!
Civil War is an important event in our state’s and nation’s history, and archaeologists have been hard at work studying our battlefields to create an accurate picture of the events that occurred during the Civil War. Battlefield archaeology has contributed greatly to our knowledge of past battles. Of course, there are many folks out there that collect Civil War memorabilia, including sometimes artifacts from battlefields across the country. As an archaeologist I find this trend somewhat disturbing because with each artifact that is taken off of a battlefield valuable information goes with it which can never again be recovered. Now, I understand that many people feel they have the right to collect, or think that archaeologists just want to keep the good stuff for themselves. However, that is not the case. When you take an item from a battlefield, which are often located on state or federal property, you are taking from every citizen in the state and the nation. An individual may think that they have the right to collect, but what about the rights of those wishing to visit and learn about these sites? The government has taken over the care of these sites so that they can be preserved for everyone to enjoy and have an equal opportunity to learn about the events that took place there. Archaeologists study these sites so that they can be better and more accurately interpreted to visitors and for scholars who want to learn about these sites. Artifacts have much more meaning and can contribute more to our understanding of the past when they are left in context. When they get removed from the site and put into a shoe box to be stored in somebody’s attic for nobody to see or learn about the context is lost! It is for these very reasons that taking artifacts from state or federal property is a crime. Our new activity is an effort on our part to show the public what archaeologists can learn from studying battlefields and exactly what damage is done when artifacts lose their context after they are removed from the site. I hope that you will make your way to Olustee this weekend for all the festivities and stop by our booth to check out our new Battlefield on a Tarp activity. We will also have a display on Florida during the Civil War that I am sure many people will find interesting.
As a related note, I often get asked how the public can get involved in archaeology. Archaeology is awesome and who wouldn’t want to have the opportunity to get involved? Well, here in Florida we have an amazing organization called the Florida Anthropological Society, which is open to anyone with an interest in archaeology. There are chapters located throughout the state and every year in May there is the annual meeting of the organization. As a member of the Florida Anthropologist you receive the quarterly journal, The Florida Anthropologist, the quarterly newsletter and a discount on registration for the annual meeting. The 2013 meeting will be held in St. Augustine. It is also important to note that to become a member you must agree to abide by the organizations code of ethics. Many organizations have opportunities to assist on digs or in archaeology labs, hold monthly meetings, conduct public outreach and host Florida Archaeology Month events. If you are interested you can visit fasweb.org for more information. This is a great way to get involved in archaeology and learn more about our state’s rich history!
Feb 04
Barbara HinesUncategorized Artifacts, Excavation, Florida Archaeology, Florida History, Florida Public Archaeology Network, FPAN, Ft. Walton Culture, Goodwood Museum and Gardens, Goodwood Plantation, Leon County, Leon County School District, Riley House Museum, Tallahassee
Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a program called “Blended Lives”. It took place at Goodwood Museum and Gardens and the Riley House Museum, both located in Tallahassee. Last week all the forth grade
Prehistoric artifacts recovered from the Goodwood property. From left to right, an Archaic stemmed projectile point (arrowhead) and a Ft. Walton period decorated ceramic sherd.
students in Leon County had the opportunity to visit both historic sites and learn about all the different people of various backgrounds who lived at those sites and contributed to the history of these two historic homes in Tallahassee. This year the organizers brought FPAN into the mix to teach the students about an archaeological site that was excavated at Goodwood. When you see an old house or another type of existing structure from long ago it is easy to forget that there were most likely people that were living on that piece of land before that structure existed. The Goodwood plantation house was constructed in the 1830s, but some artifacts from the excavation date as far back as the Ft. Walton period (A.D. 1200 to A.D. 1500). While the archaeologists were excavating at this site they found both historic and prehistoric artifacts. In other words, they found artifacts that came from the people living in the 1830s plantation house and other
Historic artifacts, probably associated with the Goodwood house, recovered at the Goodwood site. Bottom Left: etched glass fragment, Top Left: Whieldon ware ceramic sherd, Right: small clay marble.
artifacts from the people living there during the Ft. Walton culture period all at the same site. Archaeologists sometimes refer to these types of sites as multi-component sites. This, as you can probably imagine, is a fairly common occurrence at archaeological sites. The students learned briefly about Florida’s prehistory – from the Paleoindian time period to when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. Then I had the opportunity to share with them actual artifacts that were recovered from the Goodwood property during the excavation. All in all, I had a wonderful time, and I think the students, teachers and parent chaperones did as well! My hope is that now when the students look at a site they will think about all the different groups of people that were there before them and will have a new found appreciation for Florida’s rich and diverse cultural history.
To learn more about Goodwood Museum and Gardens please visit their website at GoodwoodMuseum.org. To learn more about the Riley House Museum you can visit their website at rileymuseum.org.
Jan 22
Barbara HinesUncategorized Apalachicola, Apalachicola Maritime Museum, Florida, Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, Florida Public Archaeology Network, Nautical Archaeology Society, The Big Anchor Project
If you have ever visited a coastal city you probably have seen at least one big anchor just laying around somewhere – perhaps in front of a business, a street median or even in someone’s
Measuring an anchor in Apalachicola.
yard. Have you ever wondered where that anchor came from or what it’s story was? Apalachicola has numerous anchors just laying about all over the community. Some are sitting on private property, but many are on public property as well. This past Saturday, FPAN, the Apalachicola Maritime Museum, the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research and community volunteers set out to learn about these anchors and record them for the Big Anchor Project’s world-wide database. It may sound a little strange, and you may be asking why we decided to do this, and we have a valid answer for you!
Think about the symbolism of the anchor for a minute. They are everywhere – flags, military insignia, business logos, etc. Anchors are an iconic symbol for anything maritime related. The anchor represents safety and stability and has been used by mariners as a symbol of such for over 4,000 years. Many times an anchor is all that remains as a visible symbol of something that occurred at sea. The anchor may have been cut loose in an emergency or it may be resting atop an ancient shipwreck. The anchor is a lasting symbol, but amazingly very little work has been done to collect and organize data that exists about these anchors which are on display all over the world.
The Big Anchor Project is an effort to gather and organize this information. It was created by the Nautical Archaeological Society and currently contains information on over 500 anchors from all over the world! The great thing about this project is that anybody from anywhere can participate by measuring an anchor and entering the information in the database online at biganchorproject.com. Online they have very descriptive and easy to follow directions on how to do it. This information is made available to researchers that may want to study anchors and thus contribute to our understanding of these very iconic symbols. If you know of an anchor in your community or elsewhere, I encourage you to check out the Big Anchor Project and record your anchor. It is a great group project for youth and adults and you make a direct contribution to furthering the understanding of your communities maritime history. In just one days time, with a great group of citizens from all walks of life, we were able to record fifteen anchors total. It doesn’t take very long to record an anchor and it is a lot of fun!
Volunteers recording an anchor in Apalachicola, FL.
Nov 07
Barbara HinesUncategorized Downtown Tallahassee, Florida, Florida History, Florida Public Archaeology Network, Historic Cemeteries, Old City Cemetery, Tallahassee, Tallahassee History
Many people drive b y the Old City Cemetery every day on their way to or from work, but have never taken the time to explore it. Historic cemeteries are wonderful outdoor museums that provide a unique look at a communities history. The Old City Cemetery is located between Call Street and Park Avenue in downtown Tallahassee. It is the oldest public cemetery in the city. It was created in 1829 and acquired by the city in 1840. The ground was laid out in its system of squares and lots in 1841 when a violent yellow fever epidemic swept through the city and regulations were required to assure order and sanitation to protect the public. This cemetery is the final resting place for many of the men and women who contributed to both local and state history. We will be offering a FREE tour of the cemetery on December 8th at 2pm. We hope that you will consider joining us in taking time to explore and learn about this local historic landmark.
Oct 24
Barbara HinesUncategorized Florida Park Service, Florida Public Archaeology Network, Fort Walton Culture, FPAN, Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park, Missippian, Mound Builders, National Archaeology Day, National Park Service, Southeast Archaeological Center, Southeast Ceremonial Complex, Tallahassee
Over 100 people joined us at Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park for National Archaeology Day!
This past Saturday, as many of you know, was National Archaeology Day. I was lucky enough to join the Southeast Archaeological Center/National Park Service and the Florida Park Service at Lake Jackson MoundsArchaeological State Park to celebrate! Archaeologists around the area came together to educate the public about Florida’s great archaeological heritage. Lake Jackson Mounds was a superb location for such an event! It was then that I realized that some folks may not know of this site, so I decided it was time for a Lake Jackson Mounds blog post!
Before I even get into discussing Lake Jackson Mounds, I just want to briefly give kudos to the Florida Park Service. Within the state of Florida there are over 160 state parks. That is a phenomenal amount of natural land that has been set aside for preservation, conservation and of course, for public enjoyment! Many of these parks contain archaeological or historical sites that have provided archaeologists and historians with important knowledge of the state’s history. Plus, these parks are open to the public, and thus you have access to this knowledge as well! Many of the parks have interpretive programs to provide the public with information about the natural and cultural areas of the park. You can find a park near you by visiting their website, http://www.floridastateparks.org/.
So that being said, one of those really amazing parks located in Tallahassee is Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park. The Lake Jackson Mounds site originally included
Dr. Rochelle Marrinan, Archaeology Professor at FSU, gave a talk on the Lake Jackson Mounds site during the National Archaeology Day celebration.
seven mounds that were constructed by a group of Native Americans belonging to the Fort Walton Culture. The Fort Walton Culture is a southern variant of the Mississippian Culture (also known as the Mound Builders). This group of people inhabited these mounds from about A.D. 1050 to A.D. 1500. The number of mounds and the large size of this site led archaeologists to believe that this site was a religious and political center for those that lived in the region. The mounds were skillfully planned and constructed. Those that built them had to have knowledge of the soils in the area. These mounds are the result of the organization of numerous workers over a period of many years. Not only does the site contain the mounds, but it also contains remains of a village plaza and numerous residences. The plaza would have been a large flat area where ritual games and gatherings took place. The individual residences were found to be located around this central plaza. Surrounding the site would have been communal agricultural fields. One of the major crops that would have probably been cultivated was maize, known today as corn. Agriculture is probably one of the main reasons such a dense and sedentary population was possible. The site could easily be considered one of the more important archaeological sites in Florida and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can actually hike up to the top of one of the mounds overlooking Lake Jackson!
Only a few of the mounds have been systematically excavated by archaeologists. While excavating one of the mounds, post holes were found at the summit. This indicates that a building of some sort was at one time constructed atop the mound. Unfortunately, this mound was located on private property and was leveled to the ground at some point. The remains of important individuals have been found at the site in association with burial objects, including elaborate items such as copper breast plates, shell beaded necklaces, bracelets, anklets and cloaks still in place. These types of artifacts indicate religious and trading ties with other pre-historic Indian communities in the southeastern United States. Some of the artifacts recovered from this site link it to the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. Some of the artifacts, including various copper items, exhibited motifs (decorations) that are usually associated with this complex. The Southeastern Ceremonial Complex is a name given to a stylistic component of the Mississippian culture that coincided with their adoption of maize agriculture and chiefdom social organization. This complex is also known as the “Southern Cult” and flourished around A.D. 1200. Many people assume that this complex has some link to Mesoamerican culture, but there is no evidence of this, instead, they seem to have developed independent of one another.
This is a lot of information to digest, but I hope that I peeked your curiosity about this and other sites located in Florida’s great state parks! This park is located north of Tallahassee, very close to I-10. So even if you are just passing through, pull in for a quick visit. There are picnic tables and a covered pavilion, hiking trails and interpretive signage. For location and hours of operation visit http://www.floridastateparks.org/lakejackson/default.cfm
Sep 26
Barbara HinesUncategorized Archaeological Context, Archaeology Laws, Artifact Collecting, Barbara Hines, First Floridians Conference, Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, Florida Public Archaeology Network, Florida State Archaeologist, Florida State University, Geology, Glen Doran, Harley Means, James Dunbar, Jefferson County, Mary Glowacki, Monticello, Monticello Opera House, Panhandle Archaeological Society at Tallahassee, Public Archaeology
The First Floridians conference will run from October 4 through October 6. It will be held in Monticello at the historic Opera House. There is no charge for registering for this conference, which can be done via the conference
The Historic Monticello Opera House, the location of the First Floridians Conference.
website, www.flirstfloridians.com. This conference will discuss the early people of Florida, including the Apalachee of Jefferson County. It will also touch on the coming of the Spanish and the local mission sites. One presentation will explain how the diversity of plant life in the Aucilla Basin attracted and fostered settlement throughout the ages. It will also examine how remnants of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Muskogee (Creek) Tribe of Florida formed.
Speakers will include Dr. Mary Glowacki, Florida’s State Archaeologist; Neil Wallis of the Florida Museum of Natural History; Barbara Hines of the Florida Public Archaeology Network; Glen Doran, Professor of Anthropology and Department Chair at Florida State University; Harley Means, Assistant Florida State Geologist; James Dunbar, retired Archaeologist with the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research and many other knowledgeable professionals.
On Saturday, October 6, the Florida Public Archaeology Network and the Panhandle Archaeological Society at Tallahassee will be co-hosting a Public Archaeology Education Day from 9:30am to 5pm on the ground floor of the Monticello Opera House. This is an opportunity for the public to learn various ways to get involved in local archaeological and historic preservation. The public is also invited to bring any artifacts that they may have found on their property. Archaeologist from various organizations in the area will be on hand to help identify any artifacts brought in. Please be mindful of the local, state and federal laws when collecting artifacts. It is unlawful to collect artifacts from state or federal lands or on lands which you do not have permission to do so. Additionally, please remember that artifacts can only tell us so much. It is the context in which it is found that can provide us with the most information. Before you do remove an artifact from your garden or yard, consider taking a second to take a photograph of it before you remove it and perhaps making its location on a map. You can use a common item, such as a coin, as a scale simply by placing it next to the item in the photograph. This will help us possibly provide more information about the potential archaeological site that exists on your property and you will be helping archaeologists contribute to our understanding of our state’s great history.
We hope that you will consider joining us for what is sure to be a wonderful conference. Monticello is a beautiful location for such a conference, as the town has such a rich history. So while there, be sure to take some time to explore local sites.
Aug 17
Barbara HinesUncategorized Archaeology Lesson Plans, Beyond Artifacts, Community Cassroom Consortium, Florida Archaeology, Florida Department of Education, Florida Public Archaeology Network, Geology, History, Language Arts, Math, Museum of Florida History, Science, Sunshine State Standards, Teachers
Are you a teacher that is looking to enhance your classroom curriculum? Well you are in luck! On August 30th at the Museum of Florida History many of the local outreach and educational programs in our region will be in one 
spot! The Museum of Florida History is hosting a Welcome Back, Teachers! event from 4 to 6pm. It will feature educational materials, information about onsite and outreach programs, local field trip options and refreshments. Exhibitors will include the Museum of Florida History, State Archives of Florida, Florida Public Archaeology Network, Florida Department of Education and various members of the Community Classroom Consortium. These organizations cater to a variety of subjects, so no matter what you teach there will be something there for you!
Archaeology is generally associated with social studies…but think about this for a second! Archaeologists need to have an understanding of geology, math, science, history, language arts and many other subject areas. We need to be able to communicate our interpretations and observations of a site so that they can be easily understood by not only other archaeologists, but the public as well. We need to be able to understand what resources were available to the people that were living in a specific area at a given time period. We need to be able to successfully and efficiently navigate through various environments (think of all the additional skills needed by Underwater Archaeologists!). We need to have a working knowledge of social constructs among various cultures during various times in history. Archaeologists need to have a very good understanding of the scientific method and many scientific theories in order to accurately record their findings. We also need to be able to read maps, create maps and accurately take measurements. Today archaeologists use many technological instruments to help record sites, and thus need to be pretty tech and computer savvy these days as well. We even need to be good photographers and have the ability to draw legible maps and illustrations. So, as you can see, archaeology can be an appropriate addition to a variety of subjects that are taught in school at any grade level (and I didn’t even list all the various skills needed to be a good archaeologist!). If you visit www.flpublicarchaeology.org/resources teachers can download a free copy of our lesson plan guide, Beyond Artifacts. There are also many other resources, including virtual field trips, that are available on that site. Beyond Artifacts is aligned with the Sunshine State Standards, updated regularly and includes lessons appropriate for all grade levels and subject areas.
I hope that you will be able to join us on August 30th to see what other organizations there are in this area that are available to teachers and educators in this area! FPAN will be there, along with many other organizations to show you all of the different hands on programs and educational opportunities we have available for your students.
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