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T H E     C A L U S A     L E G A C Y REDISCOVERING THE FORGOTTEN FLORIDIANS by Arden Arrington Reprinted from American Archaeology Magazine Vol. 1, Number 2, Summer 1997 Perhaps the most fascinating data to arise from the Southwest Florida Project is that set forth by environmental archaeologist Karen Jo Walker. Walker's work at sites on Sanibel and Pine Island has shown that sea level fluctuated greatly as recently as 1500 years ago. During her research, shifts in the percentages of certain associated species living on or among shellfish gathered by the Calusa were discovered, indicating increases and decreases in water salinity. Through Walker's analysis of sediments and recovered animal remains, we know that at Pineland, around 300 to 400 AD, the Gulf of Mexico rose-- to a level four feet higher than it is today. Then suddenly (in approximately 100 years, less than a blink in geologic time), the Gulf waters and those of Pine Island Sound dropped-- an astounding 6 feet! These events must have had dramatic consequences for the coastal, sea-dwelling peoples of southwest Florida; entire communities would have been displaced within decades. We can only imagine the results were sea levels at New York, Los Angeles or Miami to rise that same four feet today. Walker's research shows that zooarchaeology is not just the science of what people ate for breakfast. Understanding past changes in sea level is critical for archaeologists all over the world who work in shallow-water, estuarine settings like those in south Florida. "By integrating ecological, geological and zooarchaeological research," says Walker, "we show that environmental archaeologists can provide powerful tools for the investigation of past and future global climatic processes." Dr. Bill Marquardt excavates at Pineland. Photo courtesy Florida Museum of Natural History Says Bill Marquardt about the Calusa and their stewardship of the land: "In teaching about the environment, we try to represent the Calusa way of life as the result of a long succession of human decisions, human relationships with each other, and human relationships with the physical surroundings. Today, unbridled growth threatens to undermine and obliterate the very attractions that have always drawn people to Florida. In short," he concludes, "our environment is the issue of the 90's. I believe that decisions made in the next ten to twenty years will determine the quality of life here for centuries to come." Arden Arrington serves on the advisory board for the Randell Research Center at Pineland. For information on the Randell Research Center and seasonal tours of the Pineland Site, call Dr. William H. Marquardt at (352) 392-7188. Previous