Archaeology

Professional archaeologists, archaeology enthusiasts, and concerned citizens from throughout the state are opposing legislation currently being considered in Tallahassee.

House Bill 803 and Senate Bill 1054 would allow anyone who purchases a $100 permit to dig for historic artifacts in state owned waterways using a trowel. After dislodging the artifacts, a person could remove them, take them home, and even sell them.

Any context that archaeologists could provide for the artifacts and important opportunities to educate the public about our shared history could be lost.

“To understand the past in the fullest way possible, what is significant is not a particular object that we find, it’s what we find out about that object,” says Theresa Schober, president of the Florida Anthropological Society.

Seeing firsthand how an object is situated and documenting what other objects may be around it provides archaeologists with the contextual information they need to draw meaningful conclusions.

“It’s from context that we can determine what people were doing, how they were behaving in the past, what their social systems were like, and we lose that information as soon as an object is taken up and ends up in private hands or it ends up somewhere where it’s disassociated with its original context,” Schober says.

Some of Florida’s most significant archaeological discoveries have taken place in Brevard County. Artifacts and human remains discovered in Windover Pond were determined to be between 7,000 and 8,000 years old.

Patrisha Meyers is director of the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute at the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science. Meyers points to an artifact on display at the museum in the People of Windover exhibit.

“This beautifully incised bird bone was only found with the burials of women,” Meyers says. “This contextual knowledge allows us to explore the question of gender roles in the past and helps us understand the differences and similarities between past populations and our own. Ultimately, anthropology is the study of our shared human experience, the study of that intangible element which makes us who and what we are today. By allowing this history, this context, to be taken by those seeking personal enrichment through ownership and sale of public artifacts, we are allowing the theft of knowledge regarding our cumulative past.”

The idea of allowing “citizen archaeology” in Florida is not new.

Between 1996 and 2005, the state operated a voluntary program called Isolated Finds, which allowed individuals to keep historic artifacts that they found if the objects were not part of a larger archaeological site. Individuals were supposed to report from where they removed an artifact and provide maps.

“An untrained person might not have those discerning identification skills to be able to tell whether they’re removing something from an intact archaeological deposit or not,” says Schober. “The reports from these isolated finds were analyzed and it was determined that there was widespread non-compliance. The majority of reports were from a very small number of individuals and what came out of a later investigation in the last few years by Florida Fish and Wildlife is that some of the individuals that are taking artifacts from Florida waters illegally, knowing that they are violating the law, would use this particular program as a way to bypass that legality.”

The proposed bills currently being considered are more aggressive than the Isolated Finds program, allowing individuals to use tools to dislodge artifacts. Archaeologists are concerned that if passed, these bills would essentially legalize treasure hunting at the expense of preserving history.

“We certainly encourage people to get in touch with their legislators,” Schober says. “There’s nothing more meaningful than a member of someone’s district weighing in on a piece of legislation.”

By opposing this pending legislation, the professional archaeology community is not trying to discourage public participation in the process of archaeological discovery.

“For non-professional individuals who are truly interested in archaeology, there are a variety of opportunities to engage in supervised archaeological activities and learn about the process of archaeological investigation,” says Meyers. “The Florida Public Archaeology Network often has volunteer opportunities as well as frequent public archaeology days. The Florida Anthropological Society has 17 chapters statewide. Many of these chapters assist professional archaeologists in their work.”
 

This Friday night, a woman who was ritualistically buried in Brevard County more than 7,000 years ago will be brought back to life.

Using some of the same forensic reconstruction techniques used to identify modern crime victims from skeletal remains, artist Brian Owens has created the Windover Woman sculpture that will be unveiled this weekend.

“This was a fun project,” says Owens. “I usually work in bronze, so this more lifelike silicone material was a new challenge for me.”

Owens had measurements and computer generated images created from scans of a Windover skull to guide his work. The resulting bust sculpture will allow visitors to look into the eyes of a prehistoric Floridian.

In the mid-1980s, nearly 200 remarkably well-preserved human burials together with artifacts from the Archaic Age were discovered near the intersection of I-95 and SR50. The remains were wrapped in the oldest woven cloth found in North America. The anaerobic environment and the Ph balance of the pond cemetery allowed even brain matter to be preserved in 91 of the burials.

“The Windover site is actually the most important burial site in North America,” says Patrisha Meyers, director of the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science and the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute.

“One of the things that make it so significant is the unique type of burial. It’s a pond burial; we don’t see that as often, and this is the most complete population that has been excavated from this period, about 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. They were able to excavate 168 individuals ranging in age from infancy to old age, and because of that, we were able to learn a great deal about these early lifeways.”

The event Friday evening from 6pm to 9pm is a fundraiser for the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science and the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute that is based there.

The $75 VIP ticket includes live Native American music, gourmet food, beer and wine. Attendees will have one-on-one time with Owens, as well as archaeologists who have preserved and studied the Windover materials. They will be the first to see the improved and expanded “People of Windover” exhibition, including the Windover Woman sculpture.

Thanks to a grant from the Florida Humanities Council, the public is invited to the museum at no expense this Saturday to attend the panel discussion “Windover Archaeology: The Next Generation.” 

Panelists will include Dr. Rochelle Marrinan, Windover archaeologist and chair of the anthropology department at Florida State University; Dr. Geoffrey Thomas, specialist faculty member in the FSU anthropology department; and Dr. Rachel Wentz, author of the book “Life and Death at Windover: Excavations of a 7,000 Year-Old Pond Cemetery.”

For the past three decades, most of the Windover remains and artifacts have been housed at Florida State University in Tallahassee. During that time, outstanding research has been done that expands our understanding of Archaic Age people.

“It’s really done a good job in terms of interacting faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students, because everyone’s interested in slightly different things,” says Geoffrey Thomas. “The more individuals with different interests that branch out and look at different things, access different diseases, different health statuses, demographics, growth and development, every new study really does broaden the general picture of the whole population.”

DNA testing was in its infancy when the Windover Dig took place, and other technological advancements have been made. Study of the Windover people and artifacts will continue to provide new information about our prehistoric past.

“There are a lot of different kinds of techniques that archaeologists are using these days,” says Rochelle Marrinan. “At the moment, I think the most pressing need is the genetic one. We’re hopeful that there will be new techniques that will allow us to retrieve material that can be genetically used to sequence this population, each individual if possible. That will give us the most information, and also show their relatedness to others in Florida.”

The improved and expanded People of Windover exhibition includes a refreshed recreation of the archaeological dig, a new interactive lab with “hands-on” activities, new interpretative panels, a new video presentation, and the Windover Woman sculpture.

More information about “Windover Weekend” is available at myfloridahistory.org.

The Windover Dig in Titusville, Florida was one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the world.

Nearly 200 ritualistically buried bodies were discovered, wrapped in the oldest woven cloth found in North America. The amazingly well-preserved remains were determined to be 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 Pyramid in Egypt.

The initial discovery of ancient human remains occurred in 1982, during construction of the Windover Farms housing development near the intersection of I-95 and State Road 50. Three archaeological digs were conducted between 1984 and 1986, and the fascinating results of those excavations attracted international attention.

The only comprehensive exhibition exploring the Windover People is at the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science in Cocoa. The Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute is in the process of significantly expanding and improving the educational, interactive display.

The Brevard Museum is presenting a “Windover Weekend” November 13 and 14. The exhibit preview Friday evening will include gourmet hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer, live music, and special guests. The exhibit opening will continue on Saturday with a panel discussion called “Windover Archaeology: The Next Generation.” Tickets for all of the activities are available now at www.myfloridahistory.org.

While building upon and refreshing elements of the existing Windover People exhibition, this substantive expansion includes a new, functional archaeology lab for students and visitors to have a hands-on experience, a new video about the Windover Archaeological Dig, and the unveiling of Windover Woman, an artistic interpretation by sculptor Brian Owens based on forensic reconstruction of a Windover skull. You will be able to look into the eyes of a person who lived in Florida more than 7,000 years ago.

“Brian Owens is making great progress on his bust of the Windover Woman, and I feel lucky to have had a few sneak peeks at his work in progress,” says Patty Meyers, director of the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science, and the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute.

“I also recently had the opportunity to visit Florida State University and meet with Drs. Thomas and Marrinan to discuss the loan of Windover artifacts for the exhibit,” says Meyers. “We are still working out the details, but we will be able to share some amazing items with our visitors.”

Visitors to the Brevard Museum over the past few decades will remember that the Windover exhibit features a recreation of the archaeological dig. That portion of the exhibit has been made even more realistic, and a new recreation of an archaeology lab is being added. The lab display is modeled after the area at FSU where work is conducted on the Windover artifacts, from the style of lab table used to the linoleum flooring.

“For every hour an archaeologist spends in the field, approximately five or six hours are spent in the lab,” says Meyers. “With a background in human osteology, 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.”

With only a couple of exceptions, the Windover People were ritualistically buried and placed in the same fetal position, lying on the left side. The heads were pointed west, with their faces to the north. The deceased were wrapped in what archaeologists believe is the oldest existing woven fabric in the world. Several branches were lashed together to form a tripod that held each body submerged underwater, creating a pond cemetery.

The anaerobic environment of the peat bog combined with a remarkably favorable Ph balance in the pond allowed for exceptionally well-preserved burials. Archaeologists discovered that ninety-one of the skulls uncovered contained intact brain matter. The stomach contents of one ancient woman indicated that her last meal consisted of fish and berries. DNA tests on these Archaic Period remains proved that the same families used the site as a burial ground for more than a century.

Experience “The People of Windover” as the improved and expanded exhibition opens at the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science, 2201 Michigan Avenue, Cocoa.

The Florida Historical Society (FHS), whose statewide headquarters are in Cocoa Village, is announcing today the establishment of a new department focusing on the intersection of history and archaeology. March is Florida Archaeology Month and just in time for the celebration, FHS is launching the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute (FHSAI).

Established in 1856, the Florida Historical Society has been supporting archaeology in the state for more than a century.

FHS was the first state-wide organization dedicated to the preservation of Florida history and prehistory, as stated in their 1905 constitution. It was the first state-wide organization to preserve Native American artifacts such as stone pipes, arrowheads, and pottery, and the first to actively promote and publish archaeological research dating back to the early 1900s.

As archaeology was just beginning to emerge as a discipline in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Clarence B. Moore traveled down the St. Johns River on the steamboat Gopher, stopping to investigate Native American burial mounds and other sites. Like most archaeology enthusiasts of his generation, Moore often did significant damage to the sites he explored, digging with reckless abandon instead of following the methodical procedures used by trained archaeologists today. Moore’s contributions to the study of Florida archaeology are important, though, because he meticulously documented what he found with detailed notes and illustrations.

Clarence B. Moore became a Member of the Florida Historical Society in 1907, and donated his written works to the Library of Florida History.

From the early twentieth century to the present, leading Florida archaeologists have had their work published in the FHS journal, The Florida Historical Quarterly. The Florida Historical Society was instrumental in the creation of the position of State Archaeologist and the establishment of the Florida Anthropological Society (FAS) in the 1940s, and served as host of the Florida 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 its long tradition of supporting archaeology in the state with the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute (FHSAI). The mission statement says that FHSAI “is dedicated to educating the public about Florida archaeology through research, publication, educational outreach, and the promotion of complimentary work by other organizations.”

Dr. Rachel K. Wentz is director of the new Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute. She is former director of the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) East Central Region, and author of several books on Florida archaeology, including Chasing Bones: An Archaeologist’s Pursuit of Skeletons and Life and Death at Windover: Excavations of a 7,000-Year-Old Pond Cemetery. Her latest work, Searching Sand and Surf: The Origins of Archaeology in Florida is the first “official” publication of FHSAI, and will be released later this month.

To celebrate Florida Archaeology Month, FHSAI is presenting a series of free public lectures each Friday night in March at 7:00 pm, at the Library of Florida History, 435 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa. March 7, Chuck Meide from the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) in St. Augustine will discuss the excavation of a Florida shipwreck from the American Revolution. March 14, University of Central Florida graduate student Patrisha Meyers will give a presentation on forensic anthropology. March 21, University of South Florida professor Brent Weisman will talk about historical archaeology. March 28, FHSAI director Rachel Wentz will discuss her new book Searching Sand and Surf: The Origins of Archaeology in Florida.

In addition to offering a regular series of public lectures at the Library of Florida History in Cocoa, FHSAI will give frequent presentations at other venues throughout the state, publish books and articles through the FHS Press, and promote archaeology on Florida Frontiers: The Weekly Radio Magazine of the Florida Historical Society.

For more information on the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute (FHSAI) contact Dr. Rachel Wentz at 321-690-1971 ext. 222 or rachel.wentz@myfloridahistory.org, and visit the web site at www.fhsai.org.

Dr. Ben Brotemarkle is producer and host of “Florida Frontiers: The Weekly Radio Magazine of the Florida Historical Society.” The show can also be heard online at myfloridahistory.org.

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.

The year was 1982, and Steve Vanderjagt was working to clear the area around a pond in what would become the Windover Farms subdivision in Titusville, Florida, near the intersection of Interstate 95 and State Road 50. It was quickly apparent that the remains of several very old skeletons had been disturbed.

Jim Swann, the developer of the property, could have made the choice to quietly cover the bones and proceed with construction of his housing development, and no one would have been the wiser. Instead, Swann halted work on the site and brought in experts to determine exactly how old the newly discovered remains were, and what should be done with them.

A young archaeologist from Florida State University was called in to examine the bones. Dr. Glen Doran could tell right away that the bones were Native American, and were perhaps 1,000 years old or more. After his preliminary assessment of the bones, carbon dating was performed on them. Everyone, including Doran, was shocked by the results.

The human remains uncovered at the Windover 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. The astounding discoveries that were made attracted international attention.

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 heads were pointed west, with their faces to the north. The deceased were wrapped in what archaeologists believe is the oldest existing woven fabric in the world. Several branches were lashed together to form a tripod that held each body submerged underwater, creating a pond cemetery.

The anaerobic environment of the peat bog combined with a remarkably favorable Ph balance in the pond allowed for amazingly well preserved burials. Archaeologists discovered that ninety-one of the skulls uncovered contained intact brain matter. The stomach contents of one ancient woman indicated that her last meal consisted of fish and berries. DNA tests on the ancient remains proved that the same families used the site as a burial ground for more than a century.

Other discoveries at the Windover Dig help add to our understanding of prehistoric people. The damaged and diseased condition of some of the bones indicated that incapacitated people of this tribe were cared for over long periods of time, even though they could not participate in activities essential to the survival of the group, such as hunting and fishing. Bottle gourds were used as vessels thousands of years before the creation of pottery, demonstrating that the prehistoric people of Windover were horticulturalists as well as agriculturalists. The atlatl was a tool that helped hunters to throw their spears great distances with more strength and accuracy.

Life for the prehistoric people of Florida was difficult. About half of the remains found at Windover were children, and the oldest people found were about 60. We have no way of knowing what their spiritual beliefs were, but the ritualistic burials suggest that the people of Windover probably believed in an afterlife.

Although they lived more than 7,000 years ago, the people of Windover had fully developed brains. They resembled modern people, experiencing the same grief we feel at the passing of a loved one.

To find out more about the Windover Dig visit the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science at 2201 Michigan Avenue in Cocoa, and read the book Life and Death at Windover: Excavations of a 7,000-Year-Old Pond Cemetery by Dr. Rachel K. Wentz.

Dr. Ben Brotemarkle is producer and host of “Florida Frontiers: The Weekly Radio Magazine of the Florida Historical Society,” broadcast locally on 90.7 WMFE Thursday evenings at 6:30 and Sunday afternoons at 4:00, and on 89.5 WFIT Sunday mornings at 7:00.