In search of Dr. James Davidson

We piled into our eco-friendly work truck this morning, taking great care to remember the piles of equipment we would need to document our visit to the University of Florida to meet with archaeologist, Dr. James Davidson. Dr. Davidson is well known in the archaeological community for his work with Kingsley Plantation, located on Fort George Island in Duval County.

When we arrived, we were dwarfed by the UF campus, since we were coming from our quaint home base at Flagler College in Saint Augustine. After a little bit of wandering, we made our way to the basement where Dr. Davidson awaited in his new office, which featured a well that existed before the academic building was constructed. Wait…. What? Yes, a well that is actually a reservoir of water conveniently located in the corner of his office.

After an exciting, impromptu photo shoot with Dr. Davidson, we delved into future plans for a public day out at the Kingsley Plantation, where the findings and initial interpretations of the 2009 field school, conducted by Dr. Davidson and his crew of students, volunteers, and professional staff members, would be presented to the public. Our plans include talks and tours, among other activities. Look for that in early 2010. Emily Jane, FPAN’s videographer, was on hand to record some footage for an upcoming podcast featuring the Kingsley Plantation and the archaeological work that Dr. Davidson and his crews have done. This video will be an exciting addition to the other 3-5 minute virtual field trips that FPAN has been working on over the summer. Check out the other videos at http://www.fpannortheast.org/videos-podcasts.cfm.

Another exciting part about our trip was a visit to the lab where the artifacts from the Kingsley Plantation excavations are recorded and catalogued. Grad students who had the chance to do excavations over the summer found many new and interesting artifacts. The Flagler College Archaeology Club plans to assist in the cataloguing of these artifacts during a field trip in the next couple of months.

Stayed tuned for the next exciting adventure!

--Rosalie Cocci