Cuban Fishing Ranchos at the February SWFAS Meeting

From: Southwest Florida Archaeological Society
What: Florida’s Cuban Fisherfolk
Presenter: Meg Stack
When: February 16, 2010
Where: Bonita Springs Community Hall
27381 Old U.S. 41
Bonita Springs, FL 34135-5536

Don’t miss the February meeting of the Southwest Florida Archaeological Society where Meg Stack will discuss the Cuban fishermen of Southwest Florida. The presentation will be held at the Bonita Springs Community Hall at 27381 Old U.S. 41 (by the banyan tree). It is free to the public. The meeting begins at 7:30; coffee and snacks are available at 7:00pm. Call 239-992-9660 for more information.

The waters of Southwest Florida have served as a valuable fishing territory for thousands of years. The abundance of fish in Southwest Florida’s estuaries and its proximity to Caribbean markets supported a prosperous commercial fishing industry in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Meg Stack has analyzed historic documents, material culture, and archaeological collections related to Cuban fishing ranchos on Florida’s west coast. Her talk will address the history of Cuban fishing settlements from Charlotte Harbor to Tampa Bay and their lasting impact on the south Florida landscape.

Stack is currently completing her master’s thesis examining the “Spanish Indian” identity of Cuban Rancho dwellers at the University of South Florida. She has contributed to public archaeology projects with the Florida Public Archaeology Network and the University of South Florida.

Michele Williams discusses native american medicinal plants

From: Southwest Florida Archaeological Society

What: Native American Medicinal Plants

Presenter: Michele Williams, Ph. D., RPA

When: January 19, 2011, 7:30pm

Where: Bonita Springs Community Hall
27381 Old U.S. 41
Bonita Springs, FL 34135-5536

At the Wednesday, January 19, meeting of the Southwest Florida Archaeological Society Michele Williams will discuss how Native Americans used medicinal plants. Many cultures throughout the past have utilized plants as medicine, and plants remain the most commonly used medicine in the world today. The meeting begins at 7:30 at the Bonita Springs Community Hall.

Dr. Williams serves as Director for the Southeastern Region of Florida Public Archaeology Network at Florida Atlantic University. She has participated in excavations throughout the southeastern United States for the past 20 years. Her specialty within archaeology is the use of plants by prehistoric Native Americans.

CSI: Archaeology

From: Southwest Florida Archaeological Society

What: CSI: Archaeology

Presenter: Maranda Almy Kles

When: September 15, 2010 at 7 PM

Where: Bonita Springs Community Hall
27381 Old U.S. 41
Bonita Springs, FL 34135-5536


Have you ever wondered how CSI’s “Bones” knows what she knows about skeletal remains? Have you ever wondered if any of it can be applied to archaeology? So often skeletal remains are collected and minimally analyzed, and then passed over for the pottery and post holes that reveal so much about a culture. The human skeleton records just about everything about us: sex, stature, ancestry, diet, and so much more. The people make the culture. Understanding their remains can help us better understand the culture.

The September SWFAS talk, “CSI: Archaeology,” will highlight the different aspects of the biological profile of a human skeleton. Kles will also review an archaeological case from Southwest Florida and show how a combination of forensic techniques, archaeology, and historical analysis can reveal some interesting information about Florida’s past peoples. Hopefully at the end you will know what “Bones” knows and see how it can be used with archaeology to examine our past.

Maranda Almy Kles, MA, MS is a PhD student at the University of Florida, studying forensics and bioarchaeology. Her current research looks at biological distance in the Native American populations that inhabited pre-contact Florida. She has also worked as a Death Investigator for a medical examiner’s office and currently teaches an undergrad class on Forensic Anthropology.

For more information call Matthew Schuld at the Florida Public Archaeology Network Southwest Regional Center (239) 765-0202 ext. 153

Public Day at Fort Center

Who: Florida Public Archaeology Network, Southwest Florida Archaeological Society, The Clewiston Museum and Dr. Victor Thompson of Ohio State University

What: Archaeological Excavations at Fort Center Open to the Public

Where: Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Access, SR-78 North of Moore Haven, FL

When: Friday, July 16, 10:00am-3:00pm

Dr. Victor Thompson of Ohio State University, who is conducting an undergraduate field school at Fort Center, will lead tours for the public along with project team members. Thompson’s excavations mark the first time in decades that this important Belle Glade site has been subject to excavation. All ages are welcome. We'll have atlatl throwing for kids (adults can give it a shot, too), free FPAN gear, and a table full of information on Florida archaeology.

Also, don't pass up this opportunity to stop by the Clewiston Museum in Downtown Clewiston. The museum is located off SR-80 in downtown Clewiston.

The Fort Center site is managed by Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Commission and is located off of SR-78 North of Moore Haven at the Fisheating Creek parking access. The site is located in a wooded, rural area so wear proper attire (long pants, sturdy shoes). Bring water, sun block, bug spray, and rain protection to ensure a pleasant tour. Restroom facilities, a parking area, and picnic shelters are available near the entrance to the site. If you have any questions, call or e-mail Matt Schuld 239.765.0202 ext 153 matt[at]fortmyersbeachfl.gov or Steve Archer 239.765.0202 ext 152 sarcher[at]fortmyersbeachfl.gov.

June: A new home and two workshops

Hosting two workshops while adjusting to our new offices at the recently restored Historic Seven Seas House at Newton Beach Park made June a busy month for the Southwest Regional Center. If visitors to our new office grow board, at least they’ll daydream while taking in a view of the Gulf. Formerly the home of James and Eleanor Newton, the Seven Seas House was obtained by the Town of Fort Myers Beach in 2003. Grants from the Florida Communities Trust program and Lee County assisted in financing the conversion of the home to a center for education, a public park, and the new home of the Florida Public Archaeology Network's Southwest Regional Center!

On June 17, Kevin Porter of Florida Division of Historical Resources visited from Tallahassee to offer Historic and Archaeological Resource Training (HART). Planners, land managers, and cultural resource stakeholders from the counties of Charlotte, Collier, and Lee were on hand for a crash course in the laws and ethics that apply to Florida’s archaeological and historic resources. One of FPAN’s core goals is to support local governments in their efforts to preserve and protect regional archaeological resources.

One week later we conducted our first Project Archaeology: Investigating Shelter teacher training workshop. We had a great group of teachers and heritage educators who attended. Who knew you could learn so much about archaeology from wall walkers, slinkies, finger traps, and an imaginary living room? On the second day teachers got serious, using real archaeological data to investigate the site of a Poplar Forest Slave Cabin. A sneak peak at the new Shell Mound Exhibit at Mound House hopefully reduced the potential for workshop restlessness. If you’re upset because you missed the workshop, don’t fear; we’ll be hosting another one soon!

Steve Koski speaking on Little Salt Spring Tonight June 16

Steve Koski, a long-time friend of SWFAS, returns on June 16 to talk about recent work at Little Salt Spring. Koski, a Research Associate at the University of Miami, is giving a special presentation of the paper he presented at the May FAS meeting: “Analysis of Two Middle Archaic Compound
Artifacts from the Lower Basin of Little Salt Spring.”

The meeting begins at 7:30 but please join us between 7 and 7:30 for snacks and
socializing. The meeting will be in Bonita Springs at Community Hall, 27381 Old US-41.

We Found the Fort in Fort Myers

Where is the Fort in Fort Myers? Those on the May 7 walking tour found out. Led by Marion Almy and Lee Hutchinson of Archaeological Consultants, Inc. (ACI), tour-goers were treated to photos, maps, and stories about the excavation of a U.S. Military Cemetery, Fort Harvie, and Fort Myers. Almy and Hutchinson were contracted by the Florida Department of Transportation in 1992 to excavate portions of the site. Both have significant archaeological experience in Florida and served as excellent guides.

Starting from the Harborside Event Center, attendees were guided from the original shoreline of the Caloosahatchee River over the Military Parade Grounds, Officer Quarters, a Blacksmith Shop, and even a 19th Century bowling alley. Many of those on the tour were also visiting Fort Myers for the Florida Anthropological Society’s Annual Conference. The tour was well attended, and our office definitely intends to offer similar tours in the future.