Perspectives in the Park: Shell Middens and Ceremonial Centers

Shell Middens and Ceremonial Centers: How the Indigenous people of Florida constructed our coastal environment

The Nature Coast has supported thriving communities for thousands of years. Long before the arrival of condos and commercial fishermen, pre-colonial fisherfolk along Florida’s north-central Gulf Coast established vibrant, large communities, leaving behind some of Florida’s most significant archaeological sites. Archaeologists have discovered that these communities were not just oyster harvesters but cosmopolitan trade centers in a network that reached as far as the Great Lakes. From Chassahowitzka to the Big Bend, this presentation will explore how Indigenous people left behind evidence of their complex and dynamic cultures, which we can still observe today.

Nigel Rudolph is the Public Archaeology Coordinator at the Central Regional Center of the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) in Gainesville. He earned a BA in cultural anthropology from the University of West Florida in 1998 and a BFA in fine arts ceramics from the University of Florida in 2002. Nigel worked as a full-time cultural resource management archaeologist for over a decade before joining FPAN in 2013. He is currently a graduate student in the Historic Preservation Program at the University of Florida, focusing on cemetery preservation. Nigel is also a husband, father, professional ceramic artist, and avid tattoo collector.

Perspectives in the Park is a monthly program that features experts in their field sharing information on a variety of topics including science, nature, history and art.