The Flintlock Site (8JA1763): An Unusual Underwater Deposit in the Apalachicola River, Florida |
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Authors: | Christopher E Horrell Della A Scott-Ireton Roger C Smith James Levy Joe Knetsch |
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Institution: | (1) Minerals Management Service, New Orleans, LA, USA;(2) Florida Public Archaeology Network, Pensacola, FL, USA;(3) Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, Tallahassee, FL, USA;(4) Florida Division of State Lands, Tallahassee, FL, USA |
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Abstract: | In the fall of 2001, staff of the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research were led by river divers to an underwater site
in the Apalachicola River containing a large concentration of prehistoric and historic artifacts lying on the riverbed. Subsequent
inspection of the submerged river bank and scoured limestone river channel revealed a myriad of objects, which included iron
fasteners, metal tools and implements, broken glass bottles, stone projectile points, scattered bricks and stone blocks, and
other materials. Discovery of two large fragments of a wooden watercraft, a bayonet, a copper arrowhead, and flintlock gun
barrels initially prompted researchers to hypothesize that the site might represent the remains of a U.S. Army boat that was
attacked in 1817 by Seminole Indians while en route upriver. The episode, which caused the deaths of more than 30 soldiers
and several women who were aboard the boat, led to the First Seminole War and the U.S. Army invasion of Florida. To investigate
this hypothesis, a systematic survey of the riverbed was undertaken in the spring of 2002 to record underwater features and
recover additional diagnostic artifacts. These activities employed side-scan sonar as well as diver visual investigations.
This paper presents a case study of the value and broader significance of aggregate data where interpretation was underpinned
by artefactual, historical and environmental analysis. |
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Keywords: | Florida Seminole Indians Apalachicola River Muskets Prehistoric Historic Material culture Site formation processes |
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