Celebrate Florida Archaeology Month
Learn about Florida’s history through the artifacts and objects found at our state parks.
A midden is a pile of food waste remains that can reveal much about the life and ways of people who lived thousands of years ago. Standing by the midden, one can see many old oyster and clam shells. You can also make inferences about the things Florida's native people loved to eat that are not found, at first glance, on the top of the midden.
For thousands of years, Washington Oaks was a collection point for food items. Food was obtained from the estuary and the surrounding woodland. No evidence of farming has been obtained. Archaic people and Timucuan people began to use the spot as a food collection point once the estuary formed. As waves of people moved through the area over thousands of years, they piled waste remains within a concentrated site, creating a mound.
This land holds a mystery to uncover about the lives of Florida’s native people. There is a mysterious silver thread that connects all people, present and past. Thinking about the food we eat to sustain our lives can help us follow this thread back through time and connect us with ancient peoples.
