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Paleo-Indians in Florida

Thread starterHarry Pristis
Start dateJun 2, 2010

Harry Pristis

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Jun 2, 2010

PALEO-INDIANS IN FLORIDA

In 1983, Jim Dunbar and Ben Waller published a distribution map and interpretation of the paleo-Indian sites in Florida.

Dunbar and Waller mapped finds of diagnostic Paleo-Indian artifacts. These "diagnostics" are "...Clovis, Suwannee, or Simpson projectile points and carved ivory foreshafts or pins." (Butcher-marked bone of mammoth, horse, and giant tortoise were not included because there is evidence that these now-extinct animals lived on into a later period and may have been hunted by early Archaic Indians.)

It is clear that Florida Paleo-Indians favored the two karst regions of the state. "Karst" is a geological term referring to near-surface, highly eroded limestone characterized by erosional features such as sink-holes, caves, fissures, and deeply-incised stream-channels.

The isolated region (map) on the Florida-Alabama border is an area of uplifted limestone which is the toe of the Chattahoochee Anticline.

The larger karst region is a result of the Ocala Uplift, a crustal movement which took place a few tens of millions of years ago. Today (just as 12,000 years ago), forty-million-year-old limestone is exposed at the surface in this region. Limestone of the same age (Late Eocene) remains deeply-buried in other parts of the state.

Dunbar and Waller suggest that Paleo-Indians favored these karst regions for two reasons: 1.) for access to fresh water through sink-holes and other karst features; and 2.) for access to exposures of chert (for tool-making) which occurs within the exposed limestone.

Adapted from: James S. Dunbar and Ben I. Waller, A DISTRIBUTION ANALYSIS OF THE CLOVIS/SUWANNEE PALEO-INDIAN SITES OF FLORIDA--A GEOGRAPHIC APPROACH (in) The Florida Anthropologist, Volume 36, Nos. 1-2, 1983.

--------Harry Pristis

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Th3rty7

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Jun 2, 2010

Interesting read, thanks for posting that. They really favored the karst topography here too. Easily available lithic materials, rock shelters and caves, and many sources of clean limestone filtered water. There are miles and miles of subterranean caves here, and creeks that flow underground then reappear on the surface, and evidence of prehistory all along the karst features.

godisnum1

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Jun 2, 2010

Really cool article... heh, our area is covered on the map. Lucky us.

Bran <><

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Jun 2, 2010

I have spent much time in the Chattahoochee. Interesting typography. Thanks Harry I guess the Cumberland plateau falls within what is classified as a Karst area. Being in what is considered the cave belt of the south ,,,so much limestone so little time.

Interesting !
Thanks a lot. I think my brother dives some of those caves in that area?
TnMtns

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Jun 3, 2010

Thank you Harry, excellent info.

Harry Pristis

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Jun 3, 2010

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Martingeetars said:
Thank you Harry, excellent info.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I prepared this as a hand-out to give out at shows that I did. There was so little understanding of the distribution of these Paleo-Indian artifacts.

Jim Dunbar was the state underwater archeologist and Ben Waller was one of the first diver/collectors in the state.

Here's a photo that Ben took after one weekend of diving in the Santa Fe in June, 1963.