Abstract
The historical site identified by the Florida Department of State, Bureau of Archaeological Research as Smithsonian Trinomial 8AAMR03538 was the location of one of Hernando de Soto’s early camps during the 1539 <i>entrada</i> and was in later use during the sixteen and seventeenth century Spanish mission and ranching periods. This previously unknown First Spanish Cultural Period site named the White Ranch / De Soto site is located between Ocala and Gainesville, Florida on the wetlands associated with Orange Lake. Archaeological and documentary evidence confirms that this First Spanish mission period structure was a mission <i>visita</i> (mission without a resident priest) known as <i>Apula</i> and was understood to have been established in the late sixteenth century in the town of Potano known to have been visited by Hernando de Soto in 1539. The artifact assemblage from the mission period structure brings the conclusion that 8AAMR03538 was also a location of religious activities associated with the Franciscan mission of <i>San Buenaventura de Potano</i>, that was relocated a short distance along the lake shore. This investigation contains a systemic analysis of the artifacts from the White Ranch / De Soto site 8AAMR03538 recovered between 2005 and 2013. The goal of this study and results are to obtain information about the Aboriginal inhabitants and the following European occupations. Detailed field notes, ground truth studies performed with penetrating radar, magnetic detection and geographic information systems were used to record and analyze the excavation site and its geospatial relationships. This new information offers significant evidence and documentation confirming that the site is where Hernando de Soto came to the area of Potano on August 12<sup>th</sup> 1539. His army began camping just to the south of this location from August 11<sup>th</sup> to August 22<sup>nd</sup> and then marched north through Potano to join him on the <i>entrada</i> at Aguacaleyquen. The ceramic and coin assemblages from the site strongly prove the visitation by De Soto and the later location for a Franciscan <i>visita</i> and ranch.
Highlights
In the 1930s archaeologists began to focus on First Spanish Cultural Period sites, which include the first discovery expeditions to Florida as well the missions and their effect on the Aboriginals
One site on the western border was identified as a contact site for the 1539 Hernando de Soto entrada and another distant site on the eastern border was identified as a 17th century Franciscan mission based on artifact assemblage and the spatial interpretation of a structural foundation
The historical evidence confirms this is the area visited by Hernando de Soto the Spanish explorer and conquistador in August of 1539
Summary
In the 1930s archaeologists began to focus on First Spanish Cultural Period sites, which include the first discovery expeditions to Florida as well the missions and their effect on the Aboriginals. The east site grid excavation far at the White Ranch site contains a seventeenth century Spanish structure which fits known dimension ranges of church missions and artifact assemblages within the range of the Spanish mission period and there is enough available data to confidently identify the site as the visita Apula the precursor of the Spanish mission San Buenaventura de Potano. After this confirmation the east grid site was named the White Ranch / Mission site. This paper is presented in a clear fast format based on archaeology field notes with the style note of capitalization of Aboriginal as we are properly referring to the extinct Timucua Indians and their relations
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