New Histories of Pre-Columbian Florida

Florida Museum of Natural History Ripley P. Bullen Series

by Neill J. Wallis (Editor), Asa R. Randall (Editor), Kenneth E. Sassaman (Contributor)

“Theoretically sophisticated and empirically well-grounded. Sets a course for exciting new directions in archaeology at the edge of the American South and the broader Caribbean world.”—Christopher B. Rodning, coeditor of Archaeological Studies of Gender in the Southeastern United States   “Successfully repositions the story of Florida’s native peoples from the peripheries of history and anthropology to center stage.”—Thomas E. Emerson, author of Cahokia and the Archaeology of Power   Given its pivotal location between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, its numerous islands, its abundant flora and fauna, and its subtropical climate, Florida has long been ideal for human habitation. Yet Florida traditionally has been considered peripheral in the study of ancient cultures in North America, despite what it can reveal about social and climate change. The essays in this book resoundingly argue that Florida is in fact a crucial hub of archaeological inquiry.

New Histories of Pre-Columbian Florida represents the next wave of southeastern archaeology. Contributors use new data to challenge well-worn models of environmental determinism and localized social contact. Indeed, this volume makes a case for considerable interaction and exchange among Native Floridians and the greater southeastern United States as seen by the variety of objects of distant origin and mound-building traditions that incorporated extraregional concepts. Themes of monumentality, human alterations of landscapes, the natural environment, ritual and mortuary practices, and coastal adaptations demonstrate the diversity, empirical richness, and broader anthropological significance of Florida’s aboriginal past.

Genres: Archaeology, Native American, History

310 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Josh Liller · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of 13 essays by modern archaeologists studying Florida's pre-contact native people. The essays reflect new discoveries and new thinking in the field. Three essays are focused on the St. Johns River region, one about a southeast Florida site, four about the Tampa Bay area and southwest Florida sites, and one each on Crystal River, the Big Bend coast, the Apalachicola River, and the panhandle. Each essay has APA format citations with a list of references at the end.

Florida archaeology is a subject I read about mostly for professional reasons. The writing can sometimes be very dry - moreso than the history field. Unfortunately, this book is a prime example of that. It's published by a university press and most contributors are academics (professors, university researchers, or doctoral candidates) and it very much feels it.

Usually with essay collections the quality varies, with some really good and some kind of dull. Nothing here really stood out to me; it's all just okay.

The main text is also a smaller than average font size, which is rough on someone like me with poor eyesight.

Probably a must read for anyone with a serious interest in Florida archaeology, but recommendation to avoid for any casual reader.