Secretary Lee Encourages Floridians to Celebrate Florida Archaeology Month 2022

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

Today, Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee announced upcoming public programs to celebrate Florida Archaeology Month, which takes place each March. Upcoming public programs in March highlight the legacy and ongoing work by archaeologists from the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research (BAR) at properties managed by the Florida Department of State.

“Florida Archaeology Month is the perfect opportunity to highlight the year-round efforts of the Bureau of Archaeological Research to protect, preserve, and promote archaeological resources on state lands,” said Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee. “These special programs highlight the Bureau’s service to the people of Florida.”

Listing of Events

March 1, 2022 – March 31, 2022

Florida is home to the highest known concentration of prehistoric canoes in the world.  The Lake Munson Canoe was discovered about 5 miles south of the Tallahassee capitol building and has been conserved and preserved by the Bureau of Archaeological Research.  The artifact and a temporary exhibit interpreting this beautifully preserved vessel has been set up in the R.A. Gray Building at 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida. 

March 2, 2022

Senior Archaeologist Jerry Lee will lead a guided tour at Mission San Luis. The tour will highlight decades of research, findings, and ongoing archaeological work at the site. The tour begins at 11:00 a.m. and is included with the normal fee for site admission. Mission San Luis is located at 2100 West Tennessee Street, in Tallahassee, Florida.

March 12, 2022

BAR staff will be on-site at The Grove Museum during the annual Grove Day celebration. This year marks the five-year anniversary of the museum opening to the public in 2017. In addition to education programs about the site’s history and archaeology, including excavations led by BAR, this event features a variety of family-friendly activities, entertainment, and food trucks. Grove Day runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The Grove Museum is located at 902 North Monroe Street in Tallahassee, Florida.

March 18 – 19, 2022

The Bureau of Archaeological Research, in partnership with the Panhandle Archaeological Society at Tallahassee (PAST) and the Aucilla Research Institute (ARI), will open two excavation units on the B. Calvin Jones Center for Archaeological Research campus, located at 1001 DeSoto Park Drive in Tallahassee, Florida. One excavation is in an area where recently recovered artifacts may relate to the sixteenth-century Apalachee village of Anhaica. The second is near the carriage house and aims to locate the footprint of a 1930s smokehouse from the era when Governor John W. Martin built his residence on the site. The public is invited to visit the excavations between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to meet BAR staff, learn about the scientific methods used by archaeologists, and see what the excavations reveal. Admission is free and the program is family friendly.

March 22, 2022

On Tuesday, March 22, Ivor Mollema, BAR Underwater Archaeologist, will present information about underwater archaeology and highlight significant underwater archaeological sites in Florida. This presentation is part of the History at High Noon program series sponsored by the Museum of Florida History. The program starts at 12:00 p.m. and will be held in the museum’s theater at the R.A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida.

March 25 – 26, 2022

The public is invited to Mission San Luis to observe a ground penetrating radar survey in an area that may have been part of the Camino Real, or Royal Road, that once connected St. Augustine to San Luis de Apalachee. Based on early survey results that suggest the location of a segment of the road, excavation units will be opened to identify characteristics of the historic thoroughfare. Archaeologists from BAR, as well as members of PAST and ARI, will be available to speak with the public, answer questions, and discuss the importance of preserving and protecting archaeological sites. While there, the public can sign up for a tour of BAR’s Collections Facility located on the Mission San Luis campus. Tours will be held periodically on both days. This event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is included with the normal fee for site admission. Mission San Luis is located at 2100 West Tennessee Street, in Tallahassee, Florida.

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About The Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research

The Florida Department of State’s Bureau of Archaeological Research (BAR) is entrusted with the maintenance, preservation, and protection of more than 12,000 years of Florida’s heritage. Archaeological and historical resources on state-owned and state-controlled lands, including sovereignty submerged lands, are the direct responsibility of BAR. State archaeologists carry out archaeological surveys and excavations throughout Florida, primarily on state-owned lands. They maintain records on historical resources that have been recorded and assist consultants and planners in protecting sites statewide. For more information, visit: https://dos.myflorida.com/historical/archaeology/.