2004 News
Florida Public Archaeology Centers Network
The Public Archaeology Centers Network Draft document is available on the documents page.
Added: 17 December 2004
Florida Isolated Finds Policy Public Meetings
The minutes from the June 28 public meeting are up at the DHR website. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
2005 Griffin Student Grant applications
Applications for 2005 are now being accepted and can be sent to: Greg C. Smith, FAC Griffin Student Grant, 7220 Financial Way, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32256. The deadline for applications is January 21, 2005.
Students interested in applying for the grant should submit a 2-page letter describing the project for which the funds are being requested; what research question(s) or problem(s) are being addressed; how the funds will be applied to these problems; what, if any, additional funds will be used to accomplish the research; and how the research will contribute to Florida archaeology. Accompanying the letter should be a budget indicating the amount requested and describing how the money will be spent along with a letter of recommendation.
More information on the Griffin Grant page.
2004 Griffin Grant research results
The AMS assay from soot on a charcoal-tempered vessel yielded a 2 sigma range of AD 440 to 640. This range partially falls within Ashley’s (2003) proposed chronology in which charcoal-tempered pottery was produced between AD 300 to 500, however, more radiometric dates such as this one may begin to show that charcoal was used as temper until at least AD 600. These results will be published in the December issue of The Florida Anthropologist in an article titled, “Perpetuating Tradition on the Lower St. Johns: Pottery Technology and Function at the Mayport Mound (8DU96)”, by Neill J. Wallis.
The petrographic thin sections sponsored by FAC funding have now become part of a much larger project for a poster at the annual SAA meeting in Salt Lake City in March. The poster, by Neill J. Wallis, Ann S. Cordell, and Lee A. Newsom, is called “Petrographic analysis of charcoal-tempered pottery from northeastern Florida”, and will assess variability in temper among charcoal-tempered wares from multiple sites.
Added: 11 November 2004
Request for information on hurricane damaged archaeolgical sites
From Judy Bense
I am gathering information for the Florida Historical Commission about hurricane-damaged archaeological sites in Florida. I think (hope) that there will be some financial help from the state legislature in the form of special grants to mitigate hurricane-damaged historic properties. While historic structures certainly were damaged, so were archaeological sites. So I am gathering some preliminary information to use at many levels to help hurricane-damaged archaeological sites. I am also curious about the effect of the hurricanes on archaeological sites. If you know of sites that were damaged by a hurricane and the site is on property that would be eligible for a state historic preservation grant, please send me the following information.
SITE NAME AND SITE NUMBER
OWNER (government, agency, non-profit, institution, etc.)
NATURE OF DAMAGE (e.g. shoreline erosion, tree falls that expose deposits, slope erosion, etc.)
EXTENT OF DAMAGE (linear extent or volume)
RECOMMENDED MITIGATION (e.g. tree removal and filling of root ball holes, stabilization of shore, etc)
ESTIMATED COST OF MITIGATION
CONTACT INFORMATION (contact person, phone number, fax number, email address, street address).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Added: 11 November 2004
National Endowment for the Humanities Awards $1,000,000 Challenge Grant to Mission San Luis
Secretary of State Glenda E. Hood is pleased to announce that the National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded a $1,000,000 Challenge Grant to Mission San Luis. The Mission was one of only a few projects in the country to receive a grant under the Endowment’s We the People initiative, which emphasizes "founding principles in the United States in their full historical and institutional contexts." Florida’s First Lady, Columba Bush, is the Honorary Chair of the Mission San Luis Endowment Campaign. "This is excellent news for Mission San Luis," said Mrs. Bush. "The Challenge Grant will enhance Mission San Luis' highly successful research and educational programs. It will help the Mission further explore and communicate the rich cultural heritage to visitors of all ages and from all walks of life."
Located in Tallahassee, Mission San Luis was the 17th century capital of Spanish Florida. The site has been managed by the Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources since 1983. "Thanks in part to generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, over the past 20 years Mission San Luis has become a model program for investigating Hispanic-American cultural development in our country. It is also the premier source of education on the Florida missions for our state’s schools, residents, and visitors," said Secretary Hood.
The grant represents special recognition for model projects that advance the study, teaching, and understanding of American history and culture, and is the fifth major grant the site has received from the NEH. "Research at Mission San Luis has contributed significantly to an understanding of our country's diverse origins and rich national character," said project director Dr. Bonnie McEwan. “We are delighted that the National Endowment for the Humanities values this archaeological and historical treasure as much as we do." The NEH challenge grant will be used to leverage matching funds and create an endowment for Mission San Luis.
Added: 25 October 2004
Museums in Florida that were damaged by the recent hurricanes
AAM is trying to gather information about the needs of hurricane-damaged museums in the Southeast, so that they can provide support and help to these museums. The Southeastern regional organization, SEMC (Southeastern Museums Conference), is coordinating the effort for AAM. If your museum was damaged by any of the recent hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan, or Jeanne), please have the governing administrator at your museum send the following information to your state representative (contact information below). Be specific as possible.
1. Nature of your institution's needs (e.g., what do you need in the way of labor, supplies, what kind of help do you need for cleanup and recovery operations, and the like).
2. Contact information (name of institution, phone number, fax number, email address, street address). Make sure you include the name of an individual to contact.
Send this information to the Florida SEMC state representative.
Malinda Horton
Executive Director
Florida Association of Museums
PO Box 10951
Tallahassee, FL 32302-2951
850 222-6028 / 850 222-6112
fam@flamuseums.org
Museums outside of Florida should contact their SEMC state representative. Contact Elise LeCompte if proper contact information is needed.
Added: 11 October 2004
Job announcement from FMSF was added to Jobs page
Added: 11 October 2004
2005 FAS meetings
Registration and Call for Papers information has been added to the Florida Anthropological Society webpage.
Added: 11 October 2004
Job announcement from SEARCH was added to Jobs page
Added: 4 October 2004
Randell Research Center on Pine Island hit by Hurricane Charley
The Calusa must have been watching, the site was hit hard but not destroyed. The Gill House/main office sustained damage to its roof, chimney, ceilings, windows, and flooring as wind, rain, and trees pounded the property. At the site the new trail and signage were miraculously unscathed yet leaves, limbs, trees, and other debris cover the trail and landscape. Mangrove, gumbo-limbo, pine, Royal poinciana, Brazilian pepper, melaleuca, and other vegetation were denuded, debarked, snapped or totally uprooted and shingles, and building debris are scattered in and around the Gill House and the site.
Those able to support the reconstruction and clearing can send checks made out to the Randell Research Center to:
Dr. John Worth
Randell Research Center at Pineland
P.O. Box 608
7450 Pineland Road
Pineland, FL 33945-0608
Those able to help out at the site need to contact Bill Marquardt or John Worth in advance so they can coordinate your efforts at the Randell Research Center as there is limited space for folks to stay and electricity has not yet been restored. If you plan to come to the site you need to be responsible for your own water and food. You should also bring bug spray, sunscreen, hat, gloves, lightweight clothes, and long pants are suggested for helping clear and haul brush. Tools for clearing would also be helpful. Please call in advance if you plan to help at the site: 239-283-2062.
Over the next few weeks we will continue to announce calls for crews to help with the clearing via e-mail, web sites, and newsletters (both FAS and FAC, etc.). Please check the FAS and FAC sites for updates, calls for help, or contact them at 239-283-2062. Thank you!
The Randell Research Center (RRC) is a research and education program operated by the Florida Museum of Natural History at the Pineland Site Complex, Lee County, Florida.
North side of house with Brazilian pepper
Surf clam ridge entrance and Randell Mound
Added: 24 August 2004
Incised antler from Little Salt Spring
This incised deer antler artifact was excavated from a secure context of organic-rich sandy mud in the northern portion of the basin of Little Salt Spring in June 2004. A radiocarbon date on a wood ecofact in the same stratum is being processed; it will probably lie in the 9-10,000 year range. A brief note is also being prepared for publication in The Florida Anthropologist. Comments and questions are welcome. Please e-mail John A. Gifford or call 305/421-4191.
Added: 21 August 2004
Isolated Finds Program and the rivers within the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area
A letter from Bureau of Archaeological Research regarding the isolated finds policy in the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area has been added to the documents section.
Added: 17 August 2004
Quarterly Board Meeting
Saturday, August 28
1pm
SEARCH office, Jonesville (west of Gainesville)
If you have any items for the agenda, please contact Jim Miller. If you cannot attend, please be sure to let Jim Miller, or another board member, know of any items you want presented.
The office is located in the Willow Walk office complex, 315 NW 138th Terrace. If you are traveling on I-75, you take the Newberry Road exit and then head west for about 4 miles on Newberry Road. Willow Walk is the first development past the West End Golf Course on the north (right hand) side of the road. NW 138th Terrace is right after a coffee shop which is located right on Newberry Road. If you get to the Publix you have gone too far. Once you turn into 138th, proceed all the way to the back of the complex. We are in the northeast corner, near the cell tower. The office is the last building on the right as you drive down 138th, but once you pass it you can turn right (towards the tower) and park on the north side of our building.
Added: 28 July 2004
DHR organization information
DHR organization power point file 1.2mb
please right click and download file to your hard drive
Added: 28 July 2004
Photo and Records Request from FAC Archives Committee
Recently, the University of Florida’s, George A. Smathers library (Department of Special Area Studies and Collections) has agreed to become the repository for the FAC archives. They will advise and supply the materials needed for curation. To this end the Archives committee (D. Ruhl, chair; E. LeCompte; and P. Griffin) would like to request that any current and past officers and committee chairs who have records that they would like to submit please contact ruhl@flmnh.ufl.edu. In addition, any members who have photographs of FAC events (e.g., Stewards of Heritage, Spruce Creek Retreat, Spanish Point) please let us know about these as our photo archives are limited and we would like to enhance them. Documents, records, and other media, will be organized by the committee, upgraded following UF library standards, and submitted to the FAC board for consideration before final submission to the library. Thank you for your help with this request.
Added: 28 July 2004
2005 FAS meetings
Preliminary information has been posted at the FAS website for the meetings in Gainesville, May 13-15, 2005.
Added: 28 July 2004