Hontoon Island Earthcache-The Shell Mound EarthCache
Hontoon Island Earthcache-The Shell Mound
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This Earthcache discusses the Formation of Native American Shell Middens and surrounding landscapes.
This Earthcache is located at Hontoon Island State Park, a 1650 acre island in the middle of the St. John’s River, Florida’s longest river. The park is a great place to visit for solitude, wildlife watching, boating, hiking, fishing, and for learning a little about those who came before us. No private vehicles are permitted on the island. To get to the island, you will need to come by boat or take a short ride on the free ferry across the St. Johns River to the Park. The ferry runs continuously back and forth every few minutes. Just present yourself at the dock to cross either coming or going and the ferry will take you across shortly. Admission is currently free, but donations are encouraged to support the operation of this beautiful park and can be made at the Park store. For more information about the Park, visit the Florida State Park website www.floridastateparks.org/hontoonisland Hontoon Island State Park
After arriving at the island, take time to visit the Museum which will help you learn more about this lesser seen side of Florida and its early inhabitants. After you are done there, take the Hammock Hiking Nature Trail which offers about a three mile roundtrip to the large Indian shell mound and covers several different types of wildlife habitat. You should allow at least about 3 hours obtaining this cache, but why not bring a lunch and make a day of it on the island? It is a great place to spend some time and there are a couple of other geocaches on the island as well.
Hontoon Island Earthcache: The Shell Mound
Here and there along the Florida coast you will find little shelly hills and ridges that don’t quite fit in with the landscape of dunes, marshes, and mangroves. Some of these are shell mounds piled up by hurricanes. Others are – more or less obviously – spoil piles dumped aside during some channel dredging or construction work. The Florida Natural areas Inventory recognizes three Natural Communities that fall into this general category: Shell Mounds (the ones made by Indians), Coastal Berms (ridges left by storms), and Overwash Plains (sheets of storm-deposited material). This Earthcache will help you learn more about Shell Mounds.
Shell Mounds made by Indians can usually be recognized as little hills with shelly soil and forests taller and more tropical in species composition than the surrounding area. Most of them are along the coast, often on islands and very near the water. Archaeologists used to talk about how the Tequestas and the Calusas constructed living platforms and ceremonial centers out of discarded shells when they came to Florida’s shores to eat seafood. Modern researchers say it was a lot more complicated than that. They say the mounds were built bit by bit by a series of Indian cultures occupying the sites now and again from around 3,000 BC until the 1400s. But they aren’t quite sure why. Certainly, the basic material was initially garbage, but in some places it was used to create temple mounds, terraces, canals, and water courts. Most of the mounds near the coast are composed of marine mollusk shells, predominantly oyster, Crassostrea virginica; coon oyster, Ostrea frons; lightning whelk, Busycon contrarium; and southern quahog clam, Mercenaria campechiensis. Along the St. John’s River, they are built of freshwater snail shells. Shells make the mound calcareous and alkaline, and remnants of bone, flesh, and forest debris add organic nutrients that produce a rich soil. Thus, calcium-loving trees grow exceptionally large on these sites. And, since the shell absorbs and releases heat that protects tender foliage on cold winter nights, tropical species grow farther north on mounds than in any other habitat.
This material quoted from the Article: Deuver, L. C.., Winter 1985-1986. Natural Communities of Florida’s Coastal Mounds. The Palmetto, 5(4):15. http://www.fnps.org/palmetto/v05i4p15duever.pdf
The Palmetto
The St. Johns River valley of northeast Florida contains a multitude of shell and earthen mounds, some measuring hundreds of meters long and up to 10 meters high. Many fell victim to shell mining in the early 20th century, long before the advent of scientific archaeology. Little is actually known about the age, content, and use of these fascinating features. Archaeologists have long speculated that mounds were ceremonial, particularly those that contained human interments. Others apparently formed as a result of accumulated food remains, notably the shells of freshwater snails, while still others may have been constructed as platforms for houses.
Research findings to date from the middle St. Johns projects:
•Many shell mounds are much older than previously thought. Lower layers date to as much as 6000 years ago, 2000 years before pottery was used.
• Shell mounds often conform to geometric patterns. Crescent-shaped mounds are common.
• Mounds often contain evidence of habitation and refuse disposal at their base, but were then capped repeatedly with layers of shell, sometimes crushed and burned. The dead were sometimes interred in mounds only in the final stages of capping.
This information quoted from the Article: Anthropology Research Highlights: #6 Archaeology of Monumental Landscapes in the St John’s Basin, Florida. Anthrobytes http://web.anthro.ufl.edu/documents/AnthroByte6.pdfAnthrobytes6
For additional historical information see the article:"West Volusia and the St.John's River-A 15,000 Year Love Affair" at www.planetdeland.com/ourtownmain.htm Planet Deland
REQUIRMENTS FOR LOGGING THIS EARTHCACHE:
Stay on the trail at ALL times. Please do NOT disturb the Mound in any way—“Walk gently.” The Shell Mound is an irreplaceable source of historical information about the Native Americans that once lived here.
1) Go to the coordinates at the top of the page. Take the Hammock Hiking Nature Trail south until you reach the given coordinates. These coordinates will take you to one end of the Shell Mound. (In any event, the trail ends at a park bench and a very large tree. Do not go any further. Although we and other cachers had no problem here, please use your discretion about sitting on the bench as several cachers have reported issues with chiggers here in the past.)
a. Which end of the Mound do the given coordinates take you? (North or South?)
b. Find the other end of the Mound by following the trail. Take coordinates at that end.
c. Using your GPS unit, estimate the length of the Mound. You may also pace it off on the trail if you prefer.
d. Visually estimate the average height of the Mound.
e. Visually estimate the average width of the Mound at the bottom where the Mound is widest.
2) (Optional) Take a photo of one of your party with the GPS at the bench or the very large tree. Lone cachers can take a photo of their GPS with bench or tree or any other item that you found interesting along the trail.
3) Email the answers to all questions and the coordinates you take to us via geocaching.com. DO NOT post your answers on the cache page or we will be forced to delete your log.
4) Upload your photo with your log. Be prompt about fulfilling the requirements once you post a find. Thank you!
We hope you will enjoy our Earthcache and gain a new appreciation for these delicate features! Happy Caching!
This Earthcache is placed with the permission of Hontoon Island State Park. (There are other regular caches on the island too.) Thank them for allowing us to geocaches there!!!
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)