Archaeology Month 2025
Secretary of State Cord Byrd invites the public to celebrate Florida Archaeology Month, which takes place each March. This year’s events highlight how archaeologists use Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education when using a variety of high-tech tools and techniques in the field and laboratory.
“The science of archaeology requires expertise with a wide range of tools, not just trowels and shovels, but also sophisticated geophysical and other remote-sensing techniques, as well as spatial data science and computer mapping,” said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “This year's events and programs go ‘beyond the trowel’ to showcase the cutting-edge scientific approaches used by archaeologists to study Florida’s past.”
The Department of State will be celebrating Florida Archaeology Month 2025 with a series of events throughout the month of March. See a list of events below.
Listing of Florida Archaeology Month 2025 Events:
Signature Event:
Saturday, March 8, 2025
On Saturday, March 8, The Grove Museum will host its 8th annual Grove Day and celebrate Florida Archaeology Month with a day of special programs and activities for the entire family. Highlights include field demonstrations of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) equipment by archaeologists from the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, display boards highlighting scientific methods and data, and archaeology-focused site tours. Other activities include musical performances, outdoor games and activities, and guided tours of the museum. Food trucks will be on-site. Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket and enjoy the grounds in bloom. Grove Day is free, open to the public, and runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Grove Museum is located at 902 North Monroe Street, in Tallahassee, Florida.
Other Events:
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
On March 5, Jerry Lee, Senior Archaeologist with the Bureau of Archaeological Research, will lead a guided tour at Mission San Luis. The tour will highlight decades of research, findings, and ongoing archaeological work at the site, including how pXRF (portable X-ray fluorescence) methods have helped reveal the geographic origins of objects found 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 2020 Mission Road, in Tallahassee, Florida.
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
On March 11, Jerry Lee, Senior Archaeologist with the Bureau of Archaeological Research, will offer a presentation for the Panhandle Archaeological Society at Tallahassee (PAST) at its monthly meeting. Lee has worked at Mission San Luis, the location of a Spanish mission to the Apalachees, for over three decades. While touching on various elements of the mission town, his program will focus on the large Native structure just west of the council house believed to be a chief’s residence. Hosted by PAST, a reception begins at 6:30 p.m. with the presentation following at 7:00 p.m. PAST’s monthly meetings are held in the Jubilee Cottage at Goodwood Museum and Gardens located at 1600 Miccosukee Road, in Tallahassee, Florida.
Thursday, March 13, 2025
On March 13, Austin Bell, Chief Curator with the Museum of Florida History, will present his research on the famous Key Marco Cat. Excavated from a waterlogged archaeological site on the shores of subtropical Florida by legendary anthropologist Frank Hamilton Cushing in 1896, the Key Marco Cat has become an icon of Florida's history and heritage. The Nine Lives of Florida's Famous Key Marco Cat, winner of a 2021 Florida Book Award in the Florida Nonfiction category, explores nine periods in the life of the small wooden carving, including how and why it was sculpted by its Calusa creators, its route to the Smithsonian, and its modern-day role as a coveted ambassador of Florida's past. Hosted by the Tallahassee Historical Society, this program begins at 5:30 p.m. and will be held at Mission San Luis, 2020 Mission Road, in Tallahassee, Florida.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
On March 19, Mission San Luis presents Archaeology at Mission San Luis, as part of the Homeschool Days series of family programs. The historic site will be filled with fun, archaeology-related educational activities to help young students learn about the tools and techniques that archaeologists use to study past cultures. All activities during Homeschool Days at Mission San Luis are included with the normal fee for site admission. Mission San Luis is located at 2020 Mission Road, in Tallahassee, Florida.
Saturday, March 22, 2025
On March 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Mission San Luis will be hosting its annual Free Day in celebration of Florida Archaeology Month. Activities offered throughout the day include family-friendly crafts, living history demonstrations, and a display by the Bureau of Archaeological Research. Guests are also encouraged to tour the property, interact with interpreters to learn more about Mission San Luis, and visit the gallery in the Mission San Luis Visitor Center to view exhibits related to the site. Vendors will be on-site with food and beverages available for purchase. Mission San Luis is located at 2020 Mission Road, in Tallahassee, Florida.
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Florida leads the nation in the number of pre-contact canoes that have been discovered. Amy Socha, Senior Archaeologist with the Bureau of Archaeological Research, will provide a special presentation about Florida’s dugout canoes, highlighting innovative scientific approaches to canoe discovery, recordation, carbon dating techniques, and characterization, while providing information about recent discoveries. This program begins at 12:00 p.m., is free, open to the public, and will be held at Mission San Luis, 2020 Mission Road, in Tallahassee, Florida.
Ongoing Exhibits:
March 1, 2025 – March 31, 2025
Built in 1841, Union Bank is considered Florida’s oldest surviving bank building. Permanent museum exhibits chronicle the history of the building and its many uses over time. Featured are artifacts on loan from the Bureau of Archaeological Research that relate to Tallahassee’s colonial and territorial periods, including British transferware plates identified by pattern and unique maker’s marks. Exhibits are accessible during normal museum operating hours. Union Bank Museum is free, open to the public, and located at 219 Apalachee Parkway, in Tallahassee, Florida.
March 1, 2025 – March 31, 2025
Decades of archaeological research is on display in the Visitor Center Gallery at Mission San Luis. Highlights include artifacts and research that informed the site’s reconstructed buildings and its interpretation today as a living history museum. Exhibits are accessible during normal museum operating hours. Mission San Luis is located at 2100 West Tennessee Street, in Tallahassee, Florida.
March 1, 2025 – March 31, 2025
Permanent exhibits at The Grove Museum feature artifacts on loan from the Bureau of Archaeological Research, including items discovered during excavations on the site. Exhibits are accessible during normal museum operating hours. The Grove Museum is free, open to the public, and located at 902 North Monroe Street, in Tallahassee, Florida.
March 1, 2025 – March 31, 2025
See artifacts curated and conserved by the Bureau of Archaeological Research on loan to museums and institutions across the State of Florida and beyond. Many of these objects have been treated using a variety of different scientific methods in BAR’s Conservation Laboratory to ensure their stability for public exhibit. Explore the interactive map of locations with BAR loaned artifacts on display in museum exhibits below.
