Recently, a Woodlands period (St. Johns Cultures, 500 BC to 1500 AD) site and burials
were excavated within the City's historic district, along the banks of the Matanzas River north of the Plaza de la Constitucion.
As a volunteer on the main part of the excavation (before we knew it was ceremonial)
I helped to sift the artifacts from this site. I was told at the time that the remains were repatriated and that those accidentally
stumbled upon had been repatriated long before I arrived at the scene. Recently, we learned that this information was not
accurate and that the City is holding some remains until such time as all digging has ceased.
The
city archaeologist's report indicates that the site is "a St. Johns IIb occupation" that "can provide essential information
for understanding Native American lifeways (especially diet and exchange
systems) either just before or right at the cusp of European settlement. Moreover, this is one
of only a few
Timucuan structures that have been excavated in northeast Florida. The discoveries...provide
essential information as to Timucuan architecture... its discovery
provides interesting facets of Timucuan life beyond settlement-subsistence adaptations. Although
conjecture, it is possible
that the structure may have had ceremonial and/or ritual significance. "
What does an Archaic period structure look like? The archaeologist describes it: "The
distinguishing element to Structure 2, however, was the discovery of a curved
semi-subterranean ramped entry that had been covered. The 4.2-meter long entry was centered along the north wall. At its maximum depth,
the ramp had been
excavated into the culturally sterile soil a distance of 0.75 meters. Two steps were part
of this
descent. The ramp feature abruptly
stopped at the proposed north wall of Structure 2, where it ascended at a steep
angle. Two shallow depressions in
the culturally sterile soil at the deepest point of the ramp suggest the
presence of a ladder. At the top of the ramp, just inside the north wall, was a
large horse conch shell (Pleuroploca gigantea). A
series of small post holes (averaging 12 cm in diameter by 15 cm in depth) were
exposed along one side of the ramp, which suggests that the ramp was covered....Subsequent
to the abandonment of Structure 2, the ramp was filled with a dense deposit of
shell with little other cultural material (i.e., ceramics, bone, etc.). This
suggests intentional filling so that the ramp could never be reused. No other location
within the area of
Structure 2 contained shell deposit as dense as that of the ramp. In fact, shell densities
in the general
area of Structure 2 are below the average, as shown in Figure 3. Given its size, the
presence of a
ramped entry, and post-occupational activities (specifically filling in the
ramp), Structure 2 may have been used for activities other than residential."
What
to do in the town that bills itself as "The Ancient City" with human remains, artifacts, and an intriguing structure of a
type never unearthed before? If you think it seems obvious that you accord the dead the respect of immediate reburial according
to their own custom (or as close to their own as possible) and educate the public about what you've found, you don't know
St. Augustine. Ideas floated about what to do with the remains have ranged from moving the remains to another site, so the
owner can build new upscale homes there, to sending them to the State, which has had a tendency in the past to send them to
the museum at the University of Florida, where many remains lie unrepatriated. As for the land, some City staff have suggested
that the City can't afford not to let the owner build new upscale homes that will provide new taxes for the City budget.
But there is another alternative. The landowners at the site stated at a local
neighborhood meeting that they would prefer to see this site acquired as public land, with the remains to be reinterred in
their original resting place. Some neighbors have requested a passive-use neighborhood park installed, with natural vegetation
covering the burial area. The State Archaeologist has conceded that his office has emergency archaology funds that might be
used to acquire the site, if the City or another nonprofit will agree to manage the space after acquisition, and a City Commissioner
has helped draft a resolution asking the City to do just that.
Let's
all cheer for a solution. But wait––this is St. Augustine, the only town where a determined 1960s campaign by
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference resulted in more than 800 people jailed without
one single concession from the City fathers (Yes, they were all male then and have been mostly male since, one woman at present
being an exception.) So don't hold your breath waiting for the City to set things in motion to acquire this ancient Timucuan
ceremonial and burial site.
We have been told this will only happen
if citizens make it happen. We plain folks need to 1) convince the State Bureau of Archaeology that the site is worth acquiring;
in part by 2) convincing the City Archaeologist that he should add to his report an addendum stating that this site is of
local and statewide significance and would be likely to qualify for nomination to the National Historic Register; and 3) convince
a majority of the City Commission to vote to support acquisition and manage the site afterwards. Not even the City Commissioner
who helped draft the resolution will take the lead in these matters. We have to do it ourselves.
A
group is forming to take on these tasks, to save the City this vital resource of Timucuan history, and to make sure the remains
are repatriated with dignity. We need your help! Please look in the column at right for the information and links you need
to make a difference.
