In the Footsteps of Flag and Jody: Historical Archaeology of The Yearling
Edward González-Tennant
December 12, 2024 7PM EST ONLINE EVENT REGISTRATION LINK
The Yearling is one of the nation’s most beloved books. Set in a rapidly disappearing rural Florida, the captivating story of young Jody Baxter and his beloved pet fawn Flag is as powerful today as when it was published in 1938. However, few who read Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ Pulitzer prize-winning novel are aware of the story’s historical roots. Rawlings based her book on interviews with residents of Pat’s Island, located in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness of the Ocala National Forest. Fewer still are aware that MGM shot the 1946 film adaptation starring Gregory Peck on location in the same place. This talk presents the results of two seasons of archaeological research in Pat’s Island, which focused on excavating the Long homesite and documenting other historical resources in the area. Topics include the environmental history of the area, preliminary interpretations of the excavated materials, and ongoing efforts to commemorate this history using traditional and emerging methods.
Edward González-Tennant earned his PhD from the University of Florida (2011) for pioneering research on the 1923 Rosewood Race Massacre in Levy County. Dr. González-Tennant is currently an Assistant Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology and Director of the Laboratory of Valley Archaeology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He maintains an active research interest in Florida as well as developing new projects along the US-Mexico Borderlands of Texas.