Late Prehistoric Florida: Archaeology at the Edge of the Mississippian World (Florida Museum of Natural History: Ripley P. Bullen Series)

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. This volume illuminates Mississippi-period cultures (A.D. 1000-1600) throughout Florida and explores the degree to which indigenous peoples here distilled the ideas and trends of the broader Mississippian world of southeastern and midwestern North America