Florida has more than 11,000 miles of rivers and streams containing many submerged archaeological sites. The older sites, once on dry land, were drowned when the water level gradually rose after the last Ice Age. For years, people have been finding artifacts in Florida’s rivers, especially with the growing popularity of scuba diving. Many of the state’s most significant finds have been made by sport divers and amateur archaeologists, who reported and shared their discoveries with researchers (like the Aucilla River Prehistory Project).
Ownership of Artifacts
Ownership of archaeological sites and artifacts located on state-controlled lands, including submerged lands, is vested in the Division of Historical Resources. Written permission to conduct research and recover activities at state-owned sites must be obtained from the Division’s Bureau of Archaeological Research, except for the recovery of isolated finds in Florida’s rivers.
What is an Isolated Find?
An isolated find is an artifact that has become displaced from its original archaeological context through erosion or water currents. These artifacts are not considered of primary archaeological significance, since they have become isolated from their sites of origin.
Permission to Keep Isolated Finds
Under certain conditions, divers who recover and report the location of isolated finds can obtain ownership of their discoveries from the Division. Isolated finds permission is granted to divers to collect exposed or disassociated artifacts from state-owned, submerged bottom lands in Florida rivers, except those that are part of state and federal parks, preserves, management areas or reserves where cultural resources are specifically protected.
For information on the Isolated Finds Program see “Discovering Artifacts in Florida Rivers” available from: