FSU / BAR Archaeological Field School – Summer 2007 This summer, Florida State University’s Anthropology Dept and the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research (BAR) conducted an archaeological field school at 8LE853B - the Martin/de Soto Site in Tallahassee, FL. The site is thought to be the Apalachee village known as Anhaica. According to historical documents, Anhaica consisted of more than 250 dwellings and was occupied for more than a century. 8LE853B is one of the earliest known Spanish sites in the United States, and is the only currently known campsite associated with Hernando de Soto and his expedition. Approximately 5 acres of the site are in public ownership; the land was purchased by the State of Florida and is currently managed by the Florida Park Service. Plans are underway to develop the site into the northern trailhead of the Florida de Soto Trail. One of the primary goals of the 2007 Martin/de Soto Field School was to test areas that may be impacted by this process. The Field School was directed by two archaeologists from the Florida Bureau of Achaeological Research - Andrea White and Mary Glowacki. Two FSU graduate students, Maureen Mahoney and Michelle Markovics, were field supervisors and eight undergraduates comprised the field crew. Students learned basic field and laboratory methods in archaeology including: survey, mapping, excavation and artifact analysis. 
In an effort to keep the public informed about the excavation, students wrote in an online journal about their experiences in the form of a blog. Each day, students wrote about their experiences in the field and talked about the things they had learned. Students and staff also participated in a “Public Archaeology Day” on June 9th. The public was able to see excavations in progress, view excavated artifacts, and to learn more about the site through student-prepared displays and activities. These included artifact processing demonstrations such as screening and cleaning, atlatl spear-throwing, children’s activity stations, and an interactive media display outlining the use of the scientific method in archaeology.
2007 Martin/de Soto Site Field School Crew Back Row: Mary Glowacki, Maureen Mahoney, Juan Riera, Paul Williamson, Mercedes Harrold, Michael Birt. Front Row: Evan Heiser, Samantha Schlazer, Jennifer Futch, Michelle Markovics, Erin Bailey, Andrea White. Links |
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