Charles R. Ewen

From Colonist to Creole: Archaeological Patterns of Spanish Colonization in the New World

Creolization theory has recently been adopted and adapted by archaeologists as a useful tool for the study of culture contact and culture change. Another term, acculturation, has a much longer history and appears to examine the same phenomena. An examination of how this approach was applied in the study of the development of a Hispanic creole culture demonstrates its utility regardless of the terminology used.

Continuity and change: De Soto and the Apalachee

The expedition of Hernando de Soto has been touted as one of the primary factors of the demise of the native societies in the Southeast. European steel and infectious disease were the reputed agents of their destruction. While the de Soto entrada battled many of the native polities it encountered, recent studies suggest that the consequences were less disruptive in some places than previously thought. Indeed, changes were already in progress when the Europeans arrived. Evidence from the excavation of the Governor Martin site in northern Florida indicates that the Apalachee who received Franciscan missionaries in the 17th century were little different from those encountered by de Soto in 1540. The impact of European diseases on the native cultures was clearly significant; however, it would be imprudent to invoke monocausal explanations without exploring other factors that could have contributed to the social and demographic changes experienced by these societies.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt: A Case for Queen Anne’s Revenge

Being able to identify an archaeological site is as fundamental to maritime archaeologists as it is to their terrestrial counterparts. Identifying a site allows the archaeologist to utilize the historical record better to answer questions about past lives and events. Often, however, there are no key artifacts or features that positively identify a site. The situation is complicated on high-profile sites where the press, the public, and agencies sponsoring the work want a quick, decisive, and positive pronouncement, while the archaeological profession understands the inherent ambiguity of the archaeological record and wonders how such unambiguous pronouncements can be made on limited data. Rigorous investigation and testing by an interdisciplinary team, such as those focused on the identity of the suspected Queen Anne’s Revenge shipwreck, however, can provide a preponderance of circumstantial evidence that strongly supports the working hypothesis and crosses the threshold of reasonable doubt.

Tying Up Loose Ends: Visions and Revisions of Stanley South's Archaeology

Archaeologists are often remiss in publishing the results of their field excavations in a timely manner. Stanley South is one of the few archaeologists who have actually fulfilled their vow to write up or revise projects done in past decades. The early fieldwork of South, a seminal figure in historical archaeology, served as the basis for his important theoretical contributions. The publication of this early work allows scholars to examine the raw data supporting his theories and South to ease his conscience.

Archaeology of Precolumbian Florida.

This record of pre-Columbian Florida relates the 12,000-year story of the native peoples who inhabited the state. Using information gathered by archaeological investigations, many carried out since 1980, Jerald Milanich describes the indigenous cultures and explains why they developed as they did. Milanich introduces the material heritage of the first This record of pre-Columbian Florida relates the 12,000-year story of the native peoples who inhabited the state. Using information gathered by archaeological investigations, many carried out since 1980, Jerald Milanich describes the indigenous cultures and explains why they developed as they did. Milanich introduces the material heritage of the first Floridians through the interpretation of artifacts and archaeological sites. Weaving together discoveries from such sites as the Lake Jackson mounds near Tallahassee, Crystal River on the Gulf Coast and Granada on the Miami River, he relates the long histories of the native groups whose descendents were decimated during the European conquest of the 16th and 17th centuries. Milanich begins with an overview of the history of archaeology in Florida. He then describes the earliest aboriginal cultures: the Paleoindians and the people of the Archaic period. The later, regional cultures (Weeden Island, Fort Walton, Glades, Caloosahatchee and many others are correlated with geographical and environmental regions and then compared to provide insights about the nature of chiefdom societies, the effects of wetlands on pre-Columbian settlement systems and the environmental history of the state. Maps and illustrations document this history of archaeological research in Florida and of the sites and artifacts (including Weeden Island pottery vessels and Belle Glade wooden carvings) left behind by the pre-Columbian people.