History and Cultural SignsShell Mounds |
Shell Mounds at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Florida. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
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East River: site of CCC and
Salt Works
Plum Orchard: site of Port Leon
Wakulla Beach: site of
Wakulla Beach Hotel and
West Goose Creek Seineyards
Seineyard
84°8.710' W
84°8.892' W
84°15.703' W
30° 7.797' N
30° 9.099' N
30° 6.316' N
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Mandalay: site of Aucilla River
St. Marks Lighthouse: site of
Lighthouse, Ft. Williams, and
Spanish Hole/Shipwreck
Mounds Station: site of
Shell Mounds
and Naval
Naval Stores
Stores
Paleo
Indians and
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge History Trail
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GPS Coordinates:
GPS Coordinates:
84° 9.869'
W ~ 30° 5.282' N
84° 10.955' W ~ 30° 4.658' N
This piece of pottery dates from the recent
Leon – Jefferson Period (1550-1750 A.D.).
Artifacts such as pottery and tools recovered
during archeological excavations provide
clues about the culture of the various people
who lived on this land thousands of years
ago. Pottery is one of the signature markers
for judging the age of a site. The style and
composition of the clay evolved from a simple
utilitarian design of the Archaic Period to finer,
more artistic bowls, storage jars, or burial
vessels with distinctive decorations and
pigments that appeared in the Weeden Island
Period. (Courtesy Florida Division of Historical
Resources, Bureau of Archaeological Research)
83° 58.769' W
84° 58.769'
83°
10.955' W
84° 9.869' W
30° 6.985' N
30° 4.658' N
30° 5.282' N
The Paleo-Indian period lasted
about 5,100 years between 13,000
and 7,900 B.C. About 40 Paleo-Indian
sites occur near the refuge, mostly
along the Aucilla River. Since more
of
land
mass was
exposed
FortFlorida’s
Williams, in
a drawing
from Frank
Leslie’s
during
that
time
it
is
likely
that
sev-(deIllustrated Newpaper, February 22,
1862
tail).
Florida)
eral (Courtesy
sites areState
nowArchives
underofthe
water of
Apalachee Bay.
The Archaic Period,
between 7,900 - 500
B.C., is divided into
Early (7,900 - 5,000
B.C.), Middle (5,000 3,000 B.C.), and Late
(3,000 - 500 B.C.).
During this time some
clans began to form
small semi-permanent
and permanent villages
as well as hunting
camps near coastal
marshes and river
systems. Bolen points,
a distinctive form of
arrowhead found in the
southeastern U.S., and
fiber tempered pottery
appeared during this
time period.
The Woodland Period, 500 B.C.
- 900 A.D., is divided into three
distinctive eras based on styles of
pottery: Deptford (500 B.C. - 100 A.D.);
Santa Rosa - Swift Creek (100 - 300
A.D.); and Weeden Island (300 - 900
A.D.). Native cultures became more
organized during this period as
indicated by elaborate ceremonial
complexes, mound burials,
permanent settlements, population
growth, and organized societies.
The Mississippian - Fort Walton
Period, 900 A.D. to the time of
European contact, is characterized
by the spread of temple mounds and
This diorama at the Museum of Florida History
in Tallahassee shows what a village might
have looked like around 1450.
the cultivation of crops such as corn,
beans, and squash.
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
protects numerous ancient habitation
sites; only a few were places of burial.
A permanent village required access
to a reliable food supply, the resources to build shelters, and a nearby
source of fresh water. The coastal
area now protected by the refuge supplied abundant varieties of seafood.
The forests supplied firewood, small
game, some edible plants, and shelter
materials. Fresh water
was available from the
St. Marks and Wakulla
Rivers.
The Mounds Trail
traverses an area
that has been used
since prehistoric
times. The fire tower
is built on a shell
midden and evidence
of the Deptford,
Weeden Island, Swift
Creek, and Fort
Walton cultures have
been discovered
by archeological
excavations. Humans
have touched this land
for more than 10,000
years. As you walk
along, imagine the scent of wood
smoke from a cooking fire and listen
for the voices of people who lived in
an ancient camp near the Mounds
Trail.
The St. Marks Refuge Association, Inc.,
with a matching grant from the National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation, produced the signs
and brochures for the St. Marks National
Wildlife Refuge History Trail. The association
is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports
educational, environmental, and biological
programs of St. Marks National Wildlife
Refuge. Visit www.stmarksrefuge.org for more
information.
9/2010