40 Years of Hawkshaw and Public Archaeology

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Well, Well, Well: Papers in honor of Judith A. Bense", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Archaeology has been a Pensacola staple since Dr. Judith Bense started engaging the public with the history in their backyards. She laid the foundation for public archaeology in the city, notably through the Hawkshaw Project and the Florida Public Archaeology Network. In addition to involving local volunteers in the Hawkshaw excavation, Dr. Bense worked with community members to produce publications, exhibitions, and programs on the methods and results of the project. Today, many of these products, including the original exhibit, are not publicly accessible. This research builds on the work that Dr. Bense started in 1984 by reintroducing Hawkshaw to the public. Artifacts from the original exhibition are now on display in the Destination Archaeology Resource Center museum and online in a new exhibition on the evolution of public archaeology in Pensacola. This research demonstrates how Dr. Bense and her work continue to influence new generations of archaeologists.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Well, Well, Well: Papers in honor of Judith A. Bense   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow