Recent Directions in Florida’s Historical Archaeology

Part of: Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Recent Directions in Florida’s Historical Archaeology," at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Florida remains a crucial area for historical archaeologists who explore ideas of inclusivity and multiplicity as they relate to a cosmopolitan past. This session brings together students, professionals, and academics who engage a range of emerging topics while revisiting old questions. Papers in this session span the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Topics include the application of digital technologies for public outreach, new perspectives on maroon communities, representation of archaeological sites in the public imagination, and the challenges facing archaeologists who explore supposedly controversial histories (e.g., slavery) in an increasingly politically polarized present. Each presenter has agreed to frame their interest broadly, recognizing that Florida’s unique and complicated past provides fascinating potentials to engage the increasingly global nature of historical archaeology.

Other Keywords
digital archaeology • Florida • Field School • Firearms • Climate Change • CCC • Slavery • Public Outreach • Cemetery • digital heritage

Geographic Keywords
North America • Florida

Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-6 of 6)

  • Documents (6)
Documents
  • The 2022 Fort Mose Research Program: A Progress Report (2023)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Summer J. Brown. Mary E. Ibarrola. Lori Lee. James Davidson.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "Recent Directions in Florida’s Historical Archaeology", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. On the outskirts of St. Augustine, Florida, sits historic Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose. Also recognized as Fort Mose, the 18th century fortified settlement was occupied by self-emancipated Africans. Founded in 1738, the site became a vital display of the freedom secured by formerly enslaved people within Florida and...

  • Arming Africans in the Antebellum South: A Critical Reassessment of Firearm Usage at Kingsley Plantation (1814-1861), Fort George Island, Florida (2023)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only James M. Davidson.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "Recent Directions in Florida’s Historical Archaeology", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. The archaeological study of enslavement in the United States began in the late 1960s, with excavations by Charles Fairbanks at Kingsley Plantation and the Rayfield Plantation. In both instances, evidence of firearms was recovered, suggesting that Africans were armed. As more plantation spaces were excavated in the ensuing...

  • Assessing and Communicating Natural Disaster Threats with Digital Technologies (2023)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Diana Gonzalez-Tennant.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "Recent Directions in Florida’s Historical Archaeology", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. Digital archaeology provides a powerful method for communicating the threats associated with natural disasters and sea level rise to the public. Static graphics often fail to capture public imagination, and attention to these issues is increasingly problematic as threats are unnecessarily politicized. Digital archaeology,...

  • Digital Archaeology and its impact on America’s Last Remaining CCC Watermill in the Ocala National Forest (2023)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Alexander Nalewaik. Edward González-Tennant.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "Recent Directions in Florida’s Historical Archaeology", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. The Ocala National Forest is home to many, significant New Deal sites. Juniper Springs Recreational area is one of the first sites constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the forest (1936). Its construction was part of an early CCC experiment exploring the efficacy of federally funded tourist sites to...

  • Open-Source Approaches to Documenting and Sharing Historical Cemeteries (2023)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Edward Gonzalez-Tennant.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "Recent Directions in Florida’s Historical Archaeology", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. The rapid growth of digital and virtual technologies results in a potentially bewildering array of choices regarding the documentation and publication of publicly accessible heritage content. This paper examines tools for digitally documenting and sharing virtual versions of two historical cemeteries in Florida; the...

  • Student Perspectives on Archaeological Field Schools with Federal Agencies (2023)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Richard Joplin Davis. Alex Valladares.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "Recent Directions in Florida’s Historical Archaeology", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. Field schools are as diverse as the students enrolling in them. This paper examines the perspective of students and graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) participating in the joint University of Central Florida – US Forest Service field school in the Ocala National Forest (ONF). Field schools remain the primary way to apply...