Pineland, a Gift of the Past to the Future

The Pineland Site Complex, viewed from the west. (Photo by W. Marquardt.)

by Claudine Payne and William H. Marquardt

In August, 1994, Colonel and Mrs. Donald Randell donated 56 acres of land in Pineland to the University of Florida Foundation. The property will be preserved as an archaeological and environmental research and education center. In the Randells' honor, the property has been named the Randell Research Center at Pineland. It will be managed by the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH).

For many years, Pat and Don Randell have worked to preserve the environment and heritage of their beloved south Florida. Years ago, they helped create the Make Pine Island Beautiful award. In the 1970s, they donated land to Lee County for a park dedicated to the Calusa Indians. And they personally protected natural environments and ancient Indian shell mounds by buying nearby Josslyn Island as well as land adjacent to their home at Pineland.

Since 1983, the Randells have been active and enthusiastic supporters of the FLMNH's search for knowledge about southwest Florida's ancient peoples. During that time, the Randells funded archaeological excavations at Josslyn Island and Pineland, and they hosted thousands of visitors (including 5,400 schoolchildren) at excavations taking place literally in their backyard.

The property the Randells donated includes a portion of the famous Pineland archaeological site complex. Estimated to have covered about 200 acres at one time, the Pineland complex is a cluster of archaeological sites dating to different times. Thanks largely to the protection of the Randells, many parts of the complex remain remarkably well preserved.

First settled around A.D. 100, the Pineland complex has been home to ancient and modern Floridians ever since. For almost 2,000 years, its residents have left their mark on the landscape and, in turn, have adapted to its unique and changing environment.

Remnants of two millennia of daily life crowd the shores and palmetto flatwoods of the Pineland complex. Enormous shell mounds overlook the waters of Pine Island Sound. Middens blanket the pastures and citrus groves. A canal sweeps through the complex on its way across the island to Matlacha Pass. Sand burial mounds stand secluded and mysterious in the woods. Amazingly, evidence of human life even exists below today's water table, showing that sea level once stood lower than it does today.

In some ways, Pineland is a sort of laboratory where we can discover the past. Its long occupation discloses tales of human life on the islands of southwest Florida. Waterlogged deposits yield up secrets not found in dry sites (the earliest chili pepper seed from the eastern U.S. and the only papaya seed known from precolumbian North America come from Pineland). Upon examination, even such global issues as sea-level rise and fall begin to reveal themselves. The promise of even greater knowledge and understanding lies buried in the shell and sand.

The Randell Research Center includes several important parts of the Pineland complex. The most ancient is the Old Mound area, first settled around A.D. 100. Northeast of Old Mound, the Citrus Ridge, now covered by orange and grapefruit trees, holds clues to the rise and fall of sea level. Closer to the shore stand the 30-foot-high Brown's Mound and the slightly lower Randell Mound; parts of both now belong to the Randell Research Center. And lastly, between the two mounds lies a portion of the western end of the great canal.

Other parts of the site complex (such as the Smith Mound, Low Mound, the Adams Mound, and more of the canal) are still privately owned. Many owners diligently protect the cultural resources on their land, but some nearby properties are vulnerable to development. The Randell Research Center hopes to acquire additional sections of the site complex in the future.

Soon, the Randell Research Center will open to the public. Archaeological research will resume. Visitors will be able to see the search for knowledge firsthand; some will even join in as volunteers. Schoolchildren will swarm over the complex to learn about mangroves, shellfish, sea-level change, shell mounds, the Calusa, and the ever-changing environment. Visitors will stroll around the grounds, perhaps to learn, perhaps to marvel at the ruins of people long past, or perhaps just to cleanse their souls.

Don Randell passed away in the early morning hours of July 10, 1995. A few days later, surrounded by family and friends, his son Crandon, daughter Deborah, and six-year-old grandson Zachary scattered Don' s ashes on the top of Brown's Mound where it overlooks the ancient canal. For a few moments, past, present, and future blended under the summer sky. The farewell was fitting, for Don and Pat Randell have indeed made a gift of the past to the future.

Help Open the Randell Research Center at Pineland