Minding the Mounds: Hontoon Island Shell Midden
Valencia College Intern, Julie Alvarez, is back with her first blog on her experiences visiting mound sites in Florida! First up is....
Hontoon Island Shell Midden
I am exploring different mound sites here in Florida and my first stop is
Hontoon Island State Park in DeLand. It is said to have been inhabited by
the Macaya for around 12,000 years. My Fiancé, Izaia, took the public ferry and
upon arrival went to the visitor's center. It mentions the indigenous peoples
and features some of the artifacts found on the island. Included is a dugout
canoe, skeletal remains of animals, and taxidermied animals that
currently inhabit the island. I grabbed a map and set off on our hike to see
the mound. The Hammock Nature Trail that leads you to the midden is 1.5
miles long. While walking this four-foot-wide trail, we were entirely
surrounded by nature and secluded, which was a new experience for me.
As someone who has only lived in an urban society, this was a very new
experience. This is also my first trip to an archaeological site, and I had no
idea what to expect. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable to be one with nature
walking towards the unexpected.
There are markers and signs every half mile that give you information about
where you're located and the venomous snakes that roam the island. Around the
halfway point, there is a bench where you can take time to rest and watch as
boats drive past. Once we hit marker H6, there is a sign that speaks of
stratigraphy and the shell midden. We kept right on our path and after
about a minute of walking, I looked down and could see the
Hontoon Dead River which appeared to be 10 feet below me. The midden has
trees and plants all around just like the rest of the trail, the only
difference being the shells.
At the H7 marker, there is a bench that reads "Trail Ends Here" When
I looked behind the bench, I saw how steep the bottom of the midden was. I went
down to take a photo and try to show the height of the midden, but my camera
didn't capture the depth perception well. We made our way back and at the
halfway point we stopped on the bench to take a short break. We were met by a
species of turkeys that live on the island, which were the only animals we
encountered on the trail. The weather was nice, it was around 61 degrees and
cloudy, so we were not hot even after walking 3 miles. Overall, this was a
nice experience and I look forward to the next adventure and what there
is to learn about the ancient cultures of Florida. To visit Hontoon Island check out the State Park website for more information!
Photos and text by Julie Alvarez, FPAN Intern.