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Project Overview

Archaeological excavations under the direction of Dr. John W. Arthur at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP) have taken place over three short field seasons (2007, 2009, and 2011) at the Weeden Island site (8PI1). This archaeological research at Weedon Island is to foster University of South Florida St. Petersburg undergraduate anthropology students in the preservation of cultural heritage, learn archaeological field techniques, promote the awareness of the Weedon Island cultural and environmental resources, and to cultivate the importance of public archaeology in conjunction with the Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education (AWAIRE). In 2006, in consultation with the Weedon Island Cultural Center Director, Phyllis Kolianos, an area was located to conduct archaeological investigations in part of the midden that has been extensively disturbed due to previous looting. Research questions are addressing whether we can locate residential features, determine environmental changes in the Weedon Island estuary, and investigating issues focusing on indigenous subsistence practices.

The excavations are part of the requirements for the Archaeological Method and Theory course taught at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg by Dr. John W. Arthur, where students learn field techniques by setting up excavation units and undertake excavation, screening, and field curation of artifacts. The students then began the preliminary lab processing of the artifacts and samples by inventorying the cultural material and artifact cleaning. These three field seasons have inspired USFSP students to address indigenous subsistence practices and how the estuary has changed over the last millennium. In addition, USFSP students have presented their research in various conferences around the country and have received awards and grants. Thus, this research is helping to promote the cultural and environmental heritage of Weedon Island.

USFSP Students engaged in field archaeology at the Weedon Island site.

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Archaeologists usually prefer to base their interpretations of the past on a robust set of data and artifacts so they can feel reasonably confident of their conclusions.  But sometimes a single artifact can change how one thinks about a site.  That was the case recently when a local St. Petersburg resident contacted archaeologist Bob Austin and showed him a ceramic vessel that was recovered from the Bayshore Homes site on Boca Ciega Bay during the late 1950s prior to development.   The designs on the vessel indicate it is a type that archaeologists have named Sarasota Incised and it means that Bayshore Homes was in use during the Englewood Phase, the earliest phase of the Safety Harbor period.  This is important because the site contains ceramics typically associated with the Weedon Island period and has radiocarbon dates that extend into the early Safety Harbor period (approximately AD 890-1260), but there was no firm evidence for a Safety Harbor presence.  This single vessel provides that evidence and, along with the other artifacts and dates from the site, supports the idea that Safety Harbor culture developed directly out of the preceding Weedon Island culture in the Tampa Bay region.

Sarasota Incised from Bayshore Homes site on Boca Ciega Bay

Courtesy of WTSP.com, 4/26/12

March is Archaeology Month in Florida with many events, presentations, and lectures being presented by Chapters of the Florida Anthropological Society (FAS).  This month on March 3^rd, CGCAS participated in the events held at the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center.  Under the direction of Robert Austin, a small excavation was done so that visitors could observe archaeology in progress.

Source: CGCAS, March 2012 Newletter

Work is progressing nicely at the AWIARE Research Station as evident with our most recent signage.

AWIARE has also enclosed the residence’s garage with a temporary wall and door, extended the air conditioning ducts into the garage, installed a new sink area and added flourescent lights. The outfitted garage will be used as a laboratory.

St. Petersburg, Florida – Early Tuesday morning, Pinellas County staff members and archaeologists climbed into boats and started a journey back in time.

Once they neared the shoreline of Weedon Island, the crews began the careful work of uncovering a piece of history. Using hand tools, they excavated a 40-foot dugout canoe, thought to be 1,100 years old.

The find is exciting. It’s the largest canoe ever found in Florida in a salt water environment and it helps tell the story of the Manasota Culture.

“That tells you these people were traveling on the Bay; perhaps trade, transportation, fishing,” says Phyllis Kolianos, a county archaeologist and coordinator for the Pinellas County preserve education centers.

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abcactionnews.com – 3/2/11 – Brad Davis

A 1,100-year-old canoe has been excavated from mud on a Florida island 10 years after it was first discovered by an amateur archaeologist.

The 40ft dugout canoe – which predates Christopher Columbus’s ‘discovery’ of America by at least 600 years – was carefully extracted from the shore at Weedon Island, by staff from Pinellas County’s archeology team.

It is the oldest canoe ever found in Florida and to prevent the lengthy fragile artefact from snapping during its removal, the team used hacksaws to cut it into sections.

Once it had been transported back to the mainland the sections were cleaned and then lowered into a tank of fresh water and chemical solutions which will preserve the 1,100-year-old wood.

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