Pineland: A Key to the Past
Pineland is home to a 200-acre, internationally significant archaeological site occupied by the Calusa Indians for over 1,500 years. Their enormous shell mounds overlook the waters of Pine Island Sound. Middens – the remains of many centuries of Indian village life – blanket the pastures and citrus groves. Remnants of an ancient canal that reached across Pine Island sweep through the complex. Sand burial mounds stand secluded and mysterious in the woods. Historic structures representing Florida’s early pioneer history still stand at Pineland. Native plants characteristic of coastal hammocks, pinelands, wetlands, and shell mounds are in abundance. Animals include gopher tortoises, osprey, pileated woodpeckers, bald eagles, white ibis, alligators, otters, and many others. The Pineland Site Complex is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The site complex is of critical importance to Calusa archaeology for several reasons. Its waterlogged deposits preserve artifacts not found in dry sites. The remains of many centuries of Calusa daily life reveal the fascinating, complex world that existed before the arrival of Europeans. Pineland provides a key to understanding larger, global issues, as well. Pineland’s accumulated deposits record sea-level fluctuations and perhaps even climate changes. Such fluctuations are of interest to scientists all over the world who study the earth’s recent environmental history.
