ABORIGINAL SETTLEMENT IN THE APALACHEE REGION OF FLORIDA

Summary

This paper discusses types of archaeological and historic sites presently found within the Woodville Karst Plain. Site there range in age from Paleo-Indian (12,000 to 10,000 B.P.) to mid-20th Century historic sites. They range in type and function from burial mounds to small special use sites. The karst features such as sinkholes and springs, would have been especially attractive to Native Americans in that they not only provided water during times of lower water tables, but also exposed resources such as chert from which they fashioned many of their tools. In this vein, many sinkholes and springs also attracted animals and could have been used for ambushes and trap falls by aboriginal inhabitants. On the other hand, the sandy soils there were less attractive to Fort Walton Indians, since the red clay hills to the north were much more productive in terms of growing crops such as corn, beans, and squash. Another intriguing possibility of shallower portions of springs and sinks in the karst plain, is that many may have served as rock shelters during times of lower water tables. These kinds of sites should provide excellent preservation of organic materials. And unlike the river bottoms in the area, which have been plundered by collectors for many years, the underground streams have remained undisturbed. Thus many stratified sites with in situ cultural remains are likely to occur within such an environmental setting.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Michael (Mike) Wisenbaker Reports

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