Crystal River Archaeological State Park
Encyclopedia
Crystal River State Archaeological Site is a 61 acres (246,858.5 m²) Florida State Park
located on the Crystal River
and within the Crystal River Preserve State Park
. The park is located two miles (3 km) northwest of the city of Crystal River
, on Museum Point off US 19
/98
.
Under the title of Crystal River Indian Mounds, it is also a U.S.
National Historic Landmark
(designated as such on September 29, 1970).
mound builders, that is considered one of the longest continually occupied sites in Florida, believed to have been occupied for 1,600 years. Native Americans
traveled long distances to the complex to bury their dead and to engage in trading activities. An estimated 7,500 people may have visited the complex annually when it was occupied. The complex contains burial mounds, temple/platform mounds, a plaza area, and a midden
. Over a period of approximately 1,900 years, beginning about 500 BC, the Native Americans at the Crystal River Site threw away great quantities of materials that would form the middens that adorn the site. This "midden material" contained various kinds of woodland animal bones, fish bones, turtle shells, broken pottery, broken hand tools and arrowheads. By the time of abandonment, the midden area had reached 1,300 feet in length, 100 feet in width, 7 feet in depth, and was formed into a crescent shape. Two large platform mounds are believed to have been used primarily for ceremonial purposes. A half-mile paved loop trail passes by each mound, with signs interpreting the mounds. A 55 step observation deck atop the park's largest mound, Temple Mound, provides a panoramic view of the area. The park contains coastal marsh
and is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail
.
The park is also home to a limestone slab, possibly a "stele
", on which is a crudely carved human face and torso. There has been debate as to how strongly this inscribed stone slab was influenced by the monumental stelae of Mesoamerica. Although there may be some evidence for contact between the Huastec Culture of the Mexican Gulf Coast and the American Southeast , those claims which suggest the most direct connections are probably unfounded. The slab is today housed on the site within a metal cage.
, picnic
ing, bird watching and a boat tour of Crystal River. Amenities include a small picnic area. The visitor center/museum features an open captioned video about the tribes that once lived in the area, and houses a collection of artifacts from the site, including arrowheads, pottery, jewelry, stone and bone tools.
Florida State Parks
The Florida State Parks encompass the majority of the lands that fall under the authority of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. There are 160 such entities, including nature reserves, recreation areas, and historic sites, which can be found in every corner of the state...
located on the Crystal River
Crystal River (Florida)
The Crystal River is a very short river in Citrus County, Florida flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. It is just seven miles long, and has a drainage basin of five square miles , joining Kings Bay to the Gulf of Mexico...
and within the Crystal River Preserve State Park
Crystal River Preserve State Park
Crystal River Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park that park contains 30,000 acres of undisturbed islands, inlets, backwaters, and forests. It is unique in that lies between temperate and sub-tropical climate zones and contains plants and animals from both. The park borders 20 miles of the...
. The park is located two miles (3 km) northwest of the city of Crystal River
Crystal River, Florida
Crystal River is a city in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,485 at the 2000 census. . According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 3,539. The city was incorporated in 1903 and is the self professed "Home of the Manatee"....
, on Museum Point off US 19
U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 19 is a north–south U.S. Highway. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie....
/98
U.S. Route 98
U.S. Route 98 is an east–west United States highway that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida and Apalachicola, Florida, and has since been extended westward into Mississippi and eastward across the Florida...
.
Under the title of Crystal River Indian Mounds, it is also a U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
(designated as such on September 29, 1970).
History
The park contains a six-mound complex, built by pre-ColumbianPre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
mound builders, that is considered one of the longest continually occupied sites in Florida, believed to have been occupied for 1,600 years. Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
traveled long distances to the complex to bury their dead and to engage in trading activities. An estimated 7,500 people may have visited the complex annually when it was occupied. The complex contains burial mounds, temple/platform mounds, a plaza area, and a midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
. Over a period of approximately 1,900 years, beginning about 500 BC, the Native Americans at the Crystal River Site threw away great quantities of materials that would form the middens that adorn the site. This "midden material" contained various kinds of woodland animal bones, fish bones, turtle shells, broken pottery, broken hand tools and arrowheads. By the time of abandonment, the midden area had reached 1,300 feet in length, 100 feet in width, 7 feet in depth, and was formed into a crescent shape. Two large platform mounds are believed to have been used primarily for ceremonial purposes. A half-mile paved loop trail passes by each mound, with signs interpreting the mounds. A 55 step observation deck atop the park's largest mound, Temple Mound, provides a panoramic view of the area. The park contains coastal marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
and is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail
Great Florida Birding Trail
The 2000 mile long Great Florida Birding Trail is a collection of more than 400 locations in the U.S. state of Florida...
.
The park is also home to a limestone slab, possibly a "stele
Stele
A stele , also stela , is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief , or painted onto the slab...
", on which is a crudely carved human face and torso. There has been debate as to how strongly this inscribed stone slab was influenced by the monumental stelae of Mesoamerica. Although there may be some evidence for contact between the Huastec Culture of the Mexican Gulf Coast and the American Southeast , those claims which suggest the most direct connections are probably unfounded. The slab is today housed on the site within a metal cage.
Recreational activities
Activities include salt and fresh water fishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
ing, bird watching and a boat tour of Crystal River. Amenities include a small picnic area. The visitor center/museum features an open captioned video about the tribes that once lived in the area, and houses a collection of artifacts from the site, including arrowheads, pottery, jewelry, stone and bone tools.
External links
- Citrus County listings at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
- Crystal River Archaeological State Park at Florida State Parks
- Crystal River State Archaeological Site at Absolutely Florida
- Crystal River State Archeological Site at The National Park Service - Links to the Past
- Crystal River State Archaeological Site pictures at Florida Center for Instructional Technology
- Famous Florida Sites: Mount Royal and Crystal River, edited with an introduction by Jerald T. MilanichJerald T. MilanichJerald T. Milanich is an American anthropologist and archaeologist, specializing in Native American culture in Florida. He is the curator of Archaeology at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida in Gainesville; Adjunct Professor, Department of Anthropology, College of...
(ISBN 0-8130-1694-0), Gainesville: University Press of Florida (1999).