Late Prehistoric Florida - (Florida Museum of Natural History: Ripley P. Bullen) by Keith Ashley & Nancy Marie White (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Prehistoric Florida societies, particularly those of the peninsula, have been largely ignored or given only minor consideration in overviews of the Mississippian southeast (A.D. 1000-1600). This groundbreaking volume lifts the veil of uniformity frequently draped over these regions in the literature, providing the first comprehensive examination of Mississippi-period archaeology in the state.

Featuring contributions from some of the most prominent researchers in the field, this collection describes and synthesizes the latest data from excavations throughout Florida. In doing so, it reveals a diverse and vibrant collection of cleared-field maize farmers, part-time gardeners, hunter-gatherers, and coastal and riverine fisher/shellfish collectors who formed a distinctive part of the Mississippian southeast.

From the Back Cover

"The view often is clearer when one looks from the outside in rather than the reverse. Geographically situated on the edge of mainstream Mississippian cultural developments, Florida harbored an array of cultures whose study provides insights into the nature of the entire Southeast in the centuries before the European invasion. Late Prehistoric Florida is a seminal contribution to archaeology, one that allows us to see both the trees and forest."--Jerald T. Milanich, author of Florida Indians from Ancient Times to the Present

"Forces us to re-envision the Mississippian world with the Native polities of Florida as part of the broader cultural mosaic. It is not surprising that many of the areas represented in this book diverge from models and ideas developed in the 'core' areas in significant ways."--Victor D. Thompson, Ohio State University

"For a long time, Florida's late prehistoric societies have been viewed and explored through a lens developed to understand their Mississippian neighbors to the north. This book makes a strong case that the societies of late prehistoric Florida must be explored on their own terms."--Adam King, South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology

Featuring contributions from some of the most prominent researchers in the field, this collection describes and synthesizes the latest data from archaeological excavations throughout Florida. In doing so, it reveals a diverse and vibrant collection of cleared-field maize farmers, part-time gardeners, hunter-gatherers, and coastal and riverine fisher/shellfish collectors who formed a distinctive part of the Mississippian Southeast.

Review Quotes

"A timely work that emphasizes the significant strides being made by Florida archaeologists for the centuries prior to European contact . . . not only the first state-wide synthesis of Mississippi period archaeology for Florida, but it also brings into sharper focus the complexity of numerous maritime fishing-gathering-hunting cultures."--Antiquity


"An extremely important contribution to the literature of an area that is diverse, exciting, and little understood."--American Archaeology


"Especially valuable . . . . This book will be of interest to professional archaeologists and students of prehistory, historians interested in the precursors of the Native American societies that occupied Florida at the time of European contact also will benefit."--H-Net

About the Author

Keith Ashley is coordinator of archaeological research and instructor of anthropology at the University of North Florida. Nancy Marie White, professor of anthropology at the University of South Florida, is author of Archaeology for Dummies and editor of Gulf Coast Archaeology.