There are several areas in Indian Pond West which have been designated structure areas. Some structures are known from surface distributions only, and others are known from excavations.
Structure 1 in Indian Pond West is a surface scatter of artifacts. It has wrought iron nails and spikes, but no fired clay daub. It does contain numerous olive jar sherds and aboriginal artifacts.
Structure 2 in Indian Pond West is a surface scatter of fired clay fragments, Leon-Jefferson sherds, olive jar and majolica sherds, but only one wrought iron square nail found on the surface. Otherwise it appears to be similar in size and artifact assemblage to Structure 1. It is located 40 m southeast of Structure 1, and seems to represent the remains of a wattle-and-daub type structure.
Excavations at Structure 3, 20m west of Structure 2, were conducted in 1992 by Chapman and Nelson. They encountered a compacted sand floor with wrought iron square nails, post molds (one of which was square), smudge pits, a bead, an olive jar sherd, curvilinear complicated stamped aboriginal sherds, and high quantities of chert flakes and projectile points. The structure was interpreted as an aboriginal residential structure. Immediately east of this floor at Structure 3 was a large, 1-meter deep feature containing a watermelon seed, peach pits and charred corncobs, identified by Donna Ruhl, Florida Museum of Natural History.
Other concentrations of surface artifacts extend off to the south toward Indian Pond at approximately 30-meter intervals, as though placed along a town street and perhaps representing Spanish town planning. Structures 1, 2, and 3 are connected by an area with a high surface density of aboriginal sherds, and a few polychrome majolica sherds and olive jar sherds. This surface scatter may represent an activity area or discard area, or perhaps other undefined structures.
There is a possible plaza, an area devoid of artifacts, southwest of Structure 3. The area is known only from controlled surface collecting. This area has not been tested, except by augering which confirmed the absence of artifacts.
Surface concentrations of fired clay fragments suggested the locations of several other structures.
Structure 4, a possible location for the kitchen is suggested by a large number of charred animal bone fragments on the surface. Aboriginal sherds, olive jar, and majolica were found, as well as clay fragments and bone. Test Pit 6 which was placed in this area failed to find features or pinpoint the structure.
Test Pit 8 in Structure 5 was placed in another area containing a high concentration of fired clay fragments on the surface. Several small, faint features and possible wall trenches were encountered. This structure is thought to represent an outbuilding or outlying residential structure
Structures 6, 7, and 8 are near each other in the woods and along the treeline. Structures 6, 7, and 8 are the best candidates for the church. Structure 6 is identified on the basis of findings in three test pits. One test pit contained the remnants of a clay pad at the base of the plowzone, and below it a large, meter-deep feature extending across the full width of the 2 by 2 meter test pit. The feature was essentially devoid of artifacts, charcoal or clay. Two adjacent test pits contained large amounts of clay, but the pattern was uncertain. It is uncertain whether Structure 6 is really a separate structure or structures, or a piece of Structures 7 and 8.
The area hypothesized to contain the remains of the 17th century church was first pinpointed through controlled surface collecting by Nelson. This work revealed surface distributions of fired clay fragments, olive jar and majolica sherds, wrought iron nails and spikes, aboriginal sherds, chert flakes, and other classes of artifacts not found elsewhere on the Indian Pond site. A possible human finger or toe bone was visible in the backdirt of an animal burrow.
Structure 7 is in the woods. Features include a clay floor, long shallow trenches, large deep pit features, several smaller charcoal features, alignments, and areas of disturbed soil. Features have been mapped in plan view but only a few have been excavated or profiled so far. The clay floor is very fragmentary but extends for approximately 4 meters northeast to southwest. The floor appears to terminate at a large, deep feature, possibly a large post, Feature 14 in TP-17. In this test pit, there are no more fragments of clay construction debris farther south beyond this feature. Feature 19 is a shallow, narrow trench aligned north-northeast in TP-28, with a partial pot in situ. It dips beneath another undisturbed 17th century stratum, confirming that it is not modern in origin. This trench averages 60 cm wide and 14 cm deep. The trench may be at least 10 or possibly 12 meters long, if it connects with similar shallow trenches in other test pits. Feature 12 in TP-16 is a 40 cm wide trench, at least 2 meters long, and aligned north-northeast, and flanked to the east by a burned area, Feature 11. The trench intersects with a large, round feature, Feature 13 in TP-23. It is not known if the trench ends here or continues farther north. The function of these shallow trenches is unclear. Perhaps they served for rainwater drainage along the dripline of a building, or a construction feature which predated the structure. The relationships between the clay floor, the Feature 19 trench, and Feature 14 are not clear. The trench and post are only one meter apart, but the trench does not end at the post. Rather, the trench extends at least a meter farther south than Feature 14. Perhaps more than one episode of occupation is indicated. West of the trench is a 6-meter wide, unknown, unexcavated area.
Beyond that unknown area is Strip 1 or Structure 8, which again contains large numbers of features. The construction techniques reflected in Structure 8 are different from the construction techniques reflected in Structure 7. Until the intervening 6-meter area is excavated, it is not clear whether one or two different structures are represented.
