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Archaeology of Precolumbian Florida

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This book, published in 1994, is still the standard reference for anyone wanting to understand the archaeology of the Native American cultures of Florida up to the time of European contact in the early 1500's.

Dr. Milanich begins with the earliest Native American cultures known in Florida (or anywhere in the Americas), the Paleoindians, arriving more than 12,000 years ago. He traces the growth of Native American cultures through the Early, Middle, and Late Archaic periods, and examines what we know of the cultures of northern, central, and southern Florida - ending with the St. Johns II, Fort Walton, Safety Harbor, and Caloosahatchee cultures, which were, respectively, the Timucuan, Apalachee, Tocobaga, and Calusa known to us from the historic records.

Milanich is extremely readable, and his work provides clear, fascinating, and important detail about each of the cultures known to archaeology from this entire region. For those who mistakenly think Florida's Native cultures were limited to the Seminoles, this book shows how the peoples of Florida, the first in all North America to encounter Europeans, were among the most powerful and complex societies north of the peoples of Mesoamerica.

Whether you're an archaeologist or historian specializing in studies of the people of this region, or a general reader with an interest in Native American culture and history - buy this book. It's excellent and enjoyable reading.