Current Projects

The Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education, Inc. (AWIARE) is accepting applications for research at Weedon Island Preserve in Pinellas County, Florida.  The 3200-acre preserve is home to the Weeden Island archaeological site (8PI1), listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as well other sites related to the Manasota, Weeden Island, and Safety Harbor cultures.  Use of the AWIARE Research Station is open to qualified researchers and graduate students who wish to conduct archaeological research related to Weeden Island and related topics.  Multidisciplinary projects that address questions of human-environment interactions (e.g., sea-level change, climate change, human ecology) are encouraged.  Applicants must complete an application form that describes their research, explains how it conforms to the mission and objectives of AWIARE, and indicates the source of funding for the project.  AWIARE does not provide funding, scholarships, or fellowships at this time.  Use of the Research Station for research and living accommodations is provided free of charge.  Applicants must be legal residents of the United States and be associated with an educational organization or institution.  Independent researchers or those pursuing advanced degrees also may apply.  Research may include field work, laboratory analysis, or archival research.  For more information, contact Dr. Brent Weisman, AWIARE, 1500 Weedon Dr. NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 or by email bweisman@ usf.edu.

Weedon Island Preserve

Dates: June 24 – 28, 2013 and July 22 – 26. 2013 (9am – 4pm)

Ages: Children ages 7-11

Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education (AWIARE) plans exciting new archaeology summer camps at Weedon Island Preserve designed for students who are interested in exploring the past. All camps are conducted by professional archaeologists, including educators from the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) presenting their Tommy the Tortoise, Junior Archaeologist program.

Registration: $150 per camper/week (limited to 20 per week)

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Before- camp care is available from 7:45 am to 9:00 am for an additional fee ($50.00) each week. 

This summer camp is designed for children with a strong interest in prehistory and history as  well as learning how early people interacted with their environment. Campers will learn about the importance of archaeology and will gain understanding about early natural resources that were necessary for life in the Tampa Bay region. Highlights of the camps include guest experts, tour of an archaeological site, hands-on archaeology, lab analysis, pottery making, atlatl adventure, and earning the certificate of Tommy the Tortoise, Junior Archaeologist.

How to Register 

Complete registration and liability release forms are provided on the next page. Return via U.S. Postal Service along with a check or money order made out to “AWIARE” for the appropriate amount. We cannot accept cash or credit cards. Once the completed paperwork and payment have been received, we will provide a confirmation and other information via email.

Mailing Address 

AWIARE

1500 Weedon Drive NE

St. Petersburg, FL 33702

 

Cancellation Policy 

All cancellation requests must be received in writing or email and be postmarked at least ten days prior to the start of camp. No refunds will be made for cancellations received after that date. A $25.00 handling fee will be charged for all processed refunds.

For more information, please contact: 

Rebecca O’Sullivan

Office: (813) 396-2325

Email: rosulliv@usf.edu

Fax: (813) 396-2326

 

 WI archaeology_camp_registration_2013

The initial meeting of the Working Group on Florida Lithic Resources was held at the AWIARE Research Station, Saturday March 23.  Participants included geologist Sam Upchurch and archaeologists Jim Dunbar, Bob Austin, Adam Burke, and Ed Greene (in absentee: geologists Harley Means and Jon Bryan and archaeologist Rich Estabrook).  The group was formed to provide a forum for sharing information on lithic raw materials and their distribution in Florida and the greater Southeast.  The morning was spent examining samples of various materials from around the state (primarily chert, but also quartz, quartzite, silicified sandstone, dolomite, etc.), identifying problematic pieces, and sharing samples with other members.  In the afternoon, the group discussed future projects including the establishment of a central location for a master lithic raw materials collection, establishing a web site with a database of lithic source locations and an identification guide, and field trips to lithic sources.  The next meeting of the group is scheduled for March 2014 at AWIARE.

Twenty junior archaeologists enjoyed the June camp. They took part in a real excavation at a location where lithic artifacts were found during the installation of a fence.  They also participated in a variety of activities including hands-on archaeology, lab analysis, pottery making, atlatl adventure, guest speakers and earning the certificate of Tommy the Tortoise, Junior Archaeologist.

The next camp will be offered July 23-27 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.  The camp is open to children ages 7-11 and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Registration is $150.00/camper/week with a limit of 20 campers per week.  Before-camp care is available from 7:45 am to 9:00am for an additional fee of $50.00 each week.  For more information contact Jeff Moates, 813-396-2327, jmoates@cas.usf.edu.

Alliance for Weedon Island  Archeology Research and Education (AWIARE) has just moved into their new home. This facility will be converted into a research station for students, visiting professors and public interested in Weedon Island archeology.

On March 1, 2011, a team of archaeologists excavated an 1,100 year old Native American dugout canoe from the shoreline of Tampa Bay in the Weedon Island Preserve.  The artifact will have to undergo a 2-year preservation process before it can be displayed at the county’s Weedon Island Cultural and Natural History Center. (Time – 18 minutes)

The Archaeology Channel will run a video that launches July 15, 2011.  (http://www.archaeologychannel.org/VideoNews.html).

Two new radiocarbon dates from the Bayshore Homes archaeological site in St. Petersburg confirm an early Weeden Island age for a portion of the site. Both dates are from TU-5 in the northern midden ridge that parallels Boca Ciega Bay (Figure 1). Soot from the exterior of a ceramic sherd that was recovered from a buried ground surface about 67 cm below the modern ground surface returned a conventional 14C age of 1560 ± 30 years before present (BP), which when calibrated results in a calendrical date range of AD 424-565. The second sample was a fragment of charred wood obtained from a depth of 187 cm near the base of the midden. This returned a conventional 14C age of 1730 ± 30 years BP, or cal. AD 240-390. These dates are consistent with other early dates from the site which indicated that the earliest occupation of Bayshore Homes occurred during the 2nd through 6th centuries AD. This is the period of time that is believed to have resulted in the creation of Mound C (Figure1), which contained burials associated with decorated Weeden Island-period vessels. However, the new dates are the first that have been recovered from a portion of the midden that appears to date entirely to this early occupation, with no evidence of the late Weeden island-early Safety Harbor occupation (ca. AD 900-1220) that is present in several other locations and which resulted in the creation of the large platform Mound A and Burial Mound B.

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June 8, 2011

AWIARE Board members Tom Pluckhahn and Brent Weisman, along with colleague Victor Thompson, will be conducting field work at the famous Crystal River site, a large mound complex with prehistoric Deptford and Weeden Island components. The research is being conducted as part of a combined University of South Florida and Ohio State University field school. At Crystal River itself, Pluckhahn, Weisman, and Thompson hope to conduct additional geophysical surveys of the mound and midden complex which follows up on the soil coring that was conducted a few weeks ago. They also plan to work at the Roberts Island complex, just across the river from the Crystal River site. Roberts Island includes a virtually pristine 3-4 m tall platform mound and a number of other interesting architectural features. Geophysical survey, mapping, and small scale excavations are planned.

Crystal River is a state park and visitors are welcome. Thursdays are public days, but you can visit anytime. Information on the park, including directions, can be obtained by visiting website.

http://floridastateparks.org/crystalriverarchaeological/default.cfm

May 30, 2011:

Over the Memorial Day weekend, Dr. Jack Rink from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, Dr. Glen Doran from Florida State University, and archaeologist Grayal Farr joined AWIARE members Brent Weisman and Bob Austin in coring several locations on Weedon Island to obtain sediment samples for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. OSL measures the amount of time that has elapsed since sand grains were last exposed to sunlight by stimulating the grains in a laboratory and measuring the amount of light (luminescence) that is released. Quartz sand grains gradually absorb ionizing radiation that is present naturally in the soil; the longer the sand grains are buried, the more radiation is absorbed. When the sand is exposed to sunlight, as when they are transported from one location to another by the wind, luminescence is released, resetting the radiation “clock”. Once buried, the sand grains again begin to accumulate radioactive isotopes. Thus, when buried quartz sand is collected properly and stimulated in a laboratory, the amount of luminescence that is released becomes a measure of the amount of time that has passed since last exposure to the sun. The more light that is released, the longer the amount of time that has passed.

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