REVISITING PERICO ISLAND
Archaeological investigation at the Perico Island North Midden (8MA6A) in 2016 and 2017 uncovered new data on this complex and intriguing site resulting in a reinterpretation of its role in Terminal Archaic/Transitional and Early Woodland developments on the Gulf coast. Excavation below the water table revealed thousands of postmolds and pit features (some of massive size), two cemeteries, and a preserved wooden enclosure. These new data, combined with the results of previous investigations, suggest Perico Island was a major locus of mortuary ritual and communal aggregation beginning about 1400 BC and continuing until at least AD 1000.
About the Speaker
Bob Austin is an independent cultural resource consultant and co-founder of the Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education, Inc. Bob received his MA in Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida and his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Florida. He has worked for nearly 40 years in the cultural resource management field with surveys and excavations throughout Florida, the eastern and western US, the Caribbean, and Africa. He is past President of the Florida Anthropological Society and the Florida Archaeological Council and is the recipient of awards for outstanding service from both organizations.
This program is sponsored by the Central Gulf Coast Archaeological Society, and the Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education.