UMVA has learned that a team of University of Central Florida students and faculty are uncovering secrets of the past in a location often associated with the future: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Deep beneath the surface of this iconic space launch site, a hidden world of ancient history is emerging. The DeSoto site, located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, holds the remnants of a long-forgotten civilization that once thrived in this very spot.
The site dates back to the Malabar II Period, a time spanning from roughly 900 to 1565 A.D. It is a testament to the resilience and resourcefulness of the people who once called this place home. The DeSoto site is comprised of black earth midden deposits, a treasure trove of artifacts and clues that offer a glimpse into the daily lives of those who came before us.
"Middens contain the garbage that people left behind after undertaking their daily tasks," explains Sarah "Stacy" Barber, an anthropology professor at the University of Central Florida. "Obtaining and preparing food was an important daily activity for the people who lived here." The team has discovered a wealth of information about the diet and lifestyle of the Native Americans who inhabited this region.
"We have found the refuse of many dozens of meals," Barber says, her eyes shining with excitement. "We know from our finds this year at DeSoto that turtles, shark, black drum, and coquina clams were on the menu." The team has uncovered evidence of a sophisticated food system, one that relied on local resources and possibly even imported goods.
The finds are nothing short of remarkable, including the complete vertebral column of a shark, a fossil or a whale bone that has stumped the team, and hundreds of pottery sherds. Archaeologists have also discovered tools such as conch shell hammers and shark tooth knives, used to prepare food in the hearths where meals were cooked.
But what's most striking about this discovery is the way it challenges our assumptions about the past. "The Indigenous people of Cape Canaveral lived in relatively dense communities and relied 100% on locally obtained food," Barber says. "They did it for thousands of years, and they didn’t put the kind of stress on the local environment that we have in far less time." This is a testament to the ingenuity and sustainability of the people who came before us.
As the team continues to excavate the DeSoto site, they are uncovering a story that is both familiar and foreign. It is a story of people who lived in harmony with their environment, who relied on local resources and had a deep connection to the land. It is a story that reminds us of the importance of preserving our natural world and learning from the past.
