The State of the (Conch) Republic: Renewed Archaeology in the Imperiled Florida Keys

Summary

Although the Florida Keys’ archaeological record famously made possible the seriation of south Florida pre-Columbian ceramic styles in 1949, this 356 km2 archipelago has been largely ignored by academic archaeologists ever since. Today, Keys archaeological sites and historical properties are plagued by tourism-related development, a multi-faceted issue that is exacerbated by the compounding effects of weekly tidal erosion and seasonal tropical storms. Consequently, an untold number of sites have already been destroyed, and extant sites are at high risk of permanent inundation and/or demolition. Existing collections are therefore a crucial and fruitful resource in an area of such unfortunate circumstance. To be sure, they offer the best—and often the only—opportunity to study the diverse cultures that occupied this region in pre- and proto-historic times. With this poster, I highlight the history of terrestrial archaeological investigation in the Florida Keys; present a summary of ongoing collections-based geochemical research; and most importantly, demonstrate how and why these small islands played a significant role in pan-regional maritime networks that extend from the 14th century into contemporary times.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21299