CHRONOLOGY,SITE FORMATION,AND THE WOODLAND-MISSISSIPPIAN TRANSITION AT BAYSHORE HOMES,FLORIDA

Bayshore Homes (8PI41) is a large mound and midden complex on Florida’s west-central Gulf Coast that was investigated originally by William Sears in the 1950s. From 1999 to 2009, the authors conducted survey, test excavations, and soil coring to address questions regarding site formation, chronology, and cultural affiliation. Radiocarbon dates and ceramic analysis indicate two separate occupations during the Woodland and Mississippi periods, cal. A.D. 140–565 and cal. A.D. 890–1390 (2 sigma). The earlier occupation is associated with the Manasota archaeological culture, sand-tempered plain pottery, burials in midden deposits, and interments in a sand mound accompanied by Weeden Island–related mortuary ceramics. The later occupation is associated with Weeden Island–related decorated and Pinellas Plain ceramics in midden deposits and represents the transition from terminal Weeden Island to the Englewood phase of Early Safety Harbor. A large burial mound and a platform mound are associated with this period of site use. Our results also indicate that the unusual ceramic sequence identified by Sears in the site’s large shoreline shell midden is the result of redeposition, which occurred sometime after cal. A.D. 1220. Possible explanations for the redeposition event include monumental mound construction or the elevation of the midden ridge to serve as a foundation for structures to protect them from rising sea levels or storm surges.