Date:

Archaeologists uncover lost Indigenous NE Florida settlement of Sarabay

The University of North Florida archaeology team is now fairly confident they have located the lost Indigenous northeast Florida community of Sarabay, a settlement mentioned in both French and Spanish documents dating to the 1560s but had not been discovered until now.

The type and amounts of Indigenous pottery the team is finding combined with the type and dates for European artifacts as well as cartographic map evidence strongly supports this location as the late 16th/early 17th century Mocama settlement.

- Advertisement -

The researchers have opened large excavation blocks with many exciting new artifact finds and are currently searching for evidence of houses and public architecture. The students, led by Dr. Keith Ashley, UNF Archaeology Lab director and assistant professor, have recently recovered more than 50 pieces of early Spanish pottery as well as Indigenous pottery that dates to the late 1500s or early 1600s. They have also recovered bone, stone and shell artifacts as well as burned corn cob fragments.

Expanding upon UNF excavations conducted at the southern end of Big Talbot Island in 1998, 1999, and 2020, the UNF research team has completed what is likely the most extensive excavations at a Mocama-Timucua site in northeastern Florida history.

This dig is part of the UNF Archaeology Lab’s ongoing Mocama Archaeological Project. This study focuses on the Mocama-speaking Timucua Indians who lived along the Atlantic coast of northern Florida at the time on European arrival in 1562. The Mocama were among the first indigenous populations encountered by European explorers in the 1560s.

The team hopes to ultimately confirm the discovery of Sarabay by finding evidence of houses and public architecture. They will continue to explore and learn about Sarabay’s physical layout during continuing fieldwork projects over the next three years.

- Advertisement -

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA

Header Image Credit : University of North Florida

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is a multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Mollusc shells are unlocking the secrets of Ancient Egypt’s Saqqara necropolis

Mollusc shells unearthed during excavations at the Saqqara necropolis are offering new insights into the customs and daily life of the region’s ancient inhabitants.

5,000-year-old Dolmen complex discovered in Teba

Archaeologists from the University of Cádiz have discovered a monumental dolmen complex dating back more than 5,000-years-ago in the Spanish town of Teba in Malaga.

Archaeologists search for missing WWII Pilot at P-47 crash site in Essex

A six-week recovery project is underway in North Essex to investigate the crash site of a US Army Air Forces P-47 Thunderbolt that went down during World War II.

Megalith “dragon stones” were likely part of an ancient water cult

A new study, published in the journal npj suggests that the mysterious dragon stones found across the highlands of Armenia may relate to water veneration practices of communities over six millennia ago.

Archaeologists investigate sacred Piedra Letra monument

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have conducted a study of Piedra Letra, located on a hill overlooking Huehuetónoc in the Mexican state of Guerrero.

Monument linked to Iberian star mythology discovered in Jódar

Archaeologists from the Research Institute for Iberian Archaeology (IAI) at the University of Jaén (UJA) have discovered a monument connected to the sun and other celestial bodies within Iberian mythology.

Project is restoring Costa Rica’s mysterious stone spheres

A joint team of specialists from Costa Rica and Mexico are restoring three stone spheres at the Finca 6 Museum Site in Palmar de Osa.

Inscription sheds light on First Emperor’s quest for immortality

China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, was born in 259 BC in Handan, the capital of Zhao. He was originally named Ying Zheng, or Zhao Zheng, with ‘Zheng’ drawn from Zhengyue, the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar.