Manasota Key Offshore: A Prehistoric Cemetery in the Gulf of Mexico
Author(s): Ryan M Duggins; Franklin H Price; Melissa R. Price; Ivor R Mollema; Neil N Puckett
Year: 2018
Summary
The likelihood for the existence of prehistoric sites on drowned landscapes of the continental shelf has been discussed for decades. However, the potentially devastating effects of marine transgression have sparked a debate about the types and characteristics of prehistoric sites that archaeologists expect to find offshore. The Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research recently identified a prehistoric cemetery located in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Investigations at the Manasota Key Offshore site (8SO7030) revealed the presence of numerous in situ human burials and worked wooden stakes within an inundated peat deposit. Radiocarbon dating of the worked stakes confirm the site is a remarkable example of a Middle Archaic Period peat burial that survived Holocene sea level rise. This paper presents results from remote sensing investigations and underwater archaeological documentation while addressing long term management plans for this delicate and unique site.
Cite this Record
Manasota Key Offshore: A Prehistoric Cemetery in the Gulf of Mexico. Ryan M Duggins, Franklin H Price, Melissa R. Price, Ivor R Mollema, Neil N Puckett. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441856)
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Keywords
General
Burial Site
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Middle Archaic
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Underwater
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
Middle Archaic
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 585