Divers find prehistoric artifacts in North Port spring [ 10K yrs BP ]

Tampa Bay Online ^ | August 19, 2010 | Keith Morelli, Tampa Tribune

[SunkenCiv]

In the pitch-black depths of an isolated North Port spring sits a silt-covered ledge that is revealing secrets about a prehistoric nomadic people, secrets held in murky silence for 100 centuries... This stuff could be as old as 13,000 years old, when wandering tribes traversed Florida. Their travels included stopovers at what is now known as Little Salt Spring, 90 minutes south of Tampa. Artifacts are delicately uncovered from a ledge 90 feet below the surface... John Gifford, an underwater archaeologist with UM's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science along with aquarium divers are working together to gather the artifacts. "In the last ice age, between about 10,000 and 13,000 years ago, the water level was 90 feet lower then than it is today," Gifford said. "It's generally thought that along that early beach area, those early humans left their tools or whatever artifacts they found at that site... Little Salt Spring," Gifford said, "is where we have at least a fighting chance at finding some traces of human activity say 9,000 or 10,000 years ago." ...The sinkhole's water chemistry and temperature have helped to create a one-of-a-kind, prehistoric submerged site where late Paleo-Indian and Archaic artifacts are unusually well preserved... In 2005, Gifford and his graduate students discovered two exceptional Archaic artifacts -- a greenstone pendant and a carved stone that appears to be part of a spear thrower -- estimated to be approximately 7,000 years old.

[SunkenCiv]

I suspect “Beano” is an appropriate product for brain flatulence too. ;’)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam!

[ForGod'sSake]

I suspect “Beano” is an appropriate product for brain flatulence too.

Heh, I might require lots of Brain Beano, is it available in quantity??? Alls I've ever seen was singles. ;^)

[SunkenCiv]

Over on Dummie Underground, they get a group discount, and stock the regular kind, also a suppository form, for obvious reasons. ;’)

[ForGod'sSake]

Har!

[colorado tanker]

I suppose Florida would have been a popular place to ride out the last ice age.

[colorado tanker]

And the Younger Dryas.

[blam]

"I suppose Florida would have been a popular place to ride out the last ice age."

Sundaland

[Little Bill]

I would love to see a serious investigation of the Ice Age Coast from say Newfoundland to say the Delaware Coast. I think that there might be some surprises in store.

[SunkenCiv]

It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears.

[SunkenCiv]

;’)

[colorado tanker]

Arrrrggggghhhhh! Now I can’t get that song out of my head!