Preserving Florida’s Past

When Hurricane Milton recently hit Florida, it did more than destroy homes, businesses and lives. The powerful hurricane washed away centuries of history, damaging numerous archaeological sites, according to Sara Ayers-Rigsby, director, Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) at Florida Atlantic University.

“Some of the sites have been seriously impacted, with thousands of years of history eroding out into the water," Ayers-Rigsby said.

Now FPAN is collaborating with the University of Florida and State Parks to assess the damage and encourage the public to report any artifacts they come across in public spaces to ensure proper care. If you do find an artifact, the best thing to do is leave it in place, record the approximate location on a map, take a photo with a well-known object (like a coin) as a scale, and contact your regional FPAN office which can help you properly report the find.

FPAN, a program of the University of West Florida, is an educational organization committed to promoting and facilitating the conservation, public appreciation and preservation of Florida’s archaeological heritage, both on land and underwater. With multiple offices across the state of Florida, the network fosters a deeper understanding of archeological history in Florida.

“We are all about just trying to get people to different sites to get them to see and appreciate Florida’s archaeological heritage," Ayers-Rigsby said.

The public can also get involved by attending “lab days" where volunteers sigh up to assist with collections, participating in local historic preservation efforts, or volunteering with programs like the Heritage Monitoring Scouts of Florida, which documents the effects of climate change on archaeological sites. Volunteers can sign up on the FPAN website at https://www.fpan.us/fpan-events/.

Students are also invited to apply for field school in Jupiter, where participants work directly with material processed in the lab. More information is available at https://www.fpan.us/projects/fieldschool.

“I love raising awareness, talking to people, and getting them excited about the archaeology here in South Florida, even if it’s just getting them to realize that it's a thing here," Ayers-Rigsby said.