The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-02-14
lINEARTH BIG In DIAN
MOUNDS III FLORIDA
Interesting Objects Found
in Shell Heaps.

chief of the bureau Of American
ethnology, Smithsonian institution, has
ret7,rned from an archaeological
trip to southwestern Florida. where
he was the guest of e. M. Elliott OF
St Petersburg. Fla, who is greatly
interested in the people Of the Shen
age who have left many mounds or
kitchen middens In that state.
On this trip an examination was
made of the largest mound at Weed
ems island near st. Petersburg, sup
posed by some to have been the site
of the landing Of De Soto and Naryaez
in the sixteenth century. Excavations
were begun on the. mounds on this
island and trench six feet wide was
dug into the heart of the main mound.
This work is spl1 in progress.
Many Articles Found in Mounds.
Among the objects resulting from
these excavations are shell dippers'
celts. ornaments, charm stones, frag-
ments of crude pottery and a circu-
lar stone for grinding roots. The last
named specimen indicates that the
shell people were agriculturists as well
as fishermen. Weeden's mound is one
Of the largest Oh the coast Of Tampa
bay. the most important Of the group
of mounds surrounding a large natural
lagoon. a smaller lagoon possibly
artificial and probably constructed as
a harbor for canoes is found near the
shell heap.
A trip was made along the coast
from Tampa bay south to the primi-
tive fishing village wear Porpolse point.
The settlement has been for many
wears isolated from the world, but Mr..
Elliott has Aecently built them
schoolhouse and win provide school
teacher, as the children, of the settle
nent have never had the advantage
of an education and many OF the
Young men and women are unable to
read and write.
Among other places examined on
this southern trip were large Shell
| heaps at Charlotte harbor and at
Caxamba, near which remarkable ex-
eavatiens were made several years ago
bv Frank III. Gushing of the bureau
of American enthnology. The locality
where these excavations were made
mas now been filed in with shells from
the mound which formerly existed on
Key Marco and nothing remains ex-
cept small ditch or mudRole.
Three Types Of Indians.
NV r,,onodsl OF TJoYris island OnpO-
site Caxamba, which has been pur-
chased by Mr.. Elliott as site for a
tropical garden and for scientific
work on its numerous shell heaps, are
very large. The least known of all
Florida shell heaps examined are sit
uated near POrpoise point, their site
being wholly concealed, as one APP
proaches from the gulf, but the lux
uriant growth of mangroves The sur
faces of these shell heaps revealed
several interesting specimens and trial
excavations were very promising
Trial excavations Of a limited extent
were also made at Lossman's Key,
where there are several large shell
heaps. The results of the work in
dicated that although considerable
scientific work has been done in south
erD Florida by several PSYCHOLOGISTS
it is still a field which will repay ex-
tensive investigation and study.
There are evidences in southern
Florida of three. distinct types of In
dams. First and oldest, those who re
lied wholly upon sea fish as food,
the majority of the implements being
made from the large. shells which are
so abundant in that region; following
these the Indians of the historic epoch
who are possibly descendants of the
j so-caled Caloosa Indians, while the
collections made by Mr.. Gushing al
Key Marco weuld seem 70 Indicate an
affinity with the West Indian cultures
possibly akin to the Arawak colony in
Florida reported by early Spanish
writer's
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