Pineland Archeological District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Pineland Archeological District
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Lee County, Florida |
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| Nearest city | Pineland |
| MPS | Archeological Resources of the Caloosahatchee Region MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000583 |
| Added to NRHP | November 27, 1973 |
The Pineland Archeological District is a very old and important historical site. It is also known as Battey's Landing or the Pineland Site. This special place is located on Pine Island in Lee County, Florida. It sits right next to Pine Island Sound.
Ancient people called the Calusa lived here for a long time. They were part of the Caloosahatchee culture. They lived at Pineland from about 500 years before the Common Era (BCE) until after the year 1700. The site has large hills made of shells and sand, called mounds. It also has old canals and lakes built by hand. You can also see buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
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Exploring Pineland's Ancient Structures
The Pineland Archeological District has many interesting mounds and features. Near the water, you'll find Battey's Landing. This area includes the Brown Mound Complex with five mounds. To the southeast is the Randell Mound Complex with two mounds.
A waterway called the Pine Island Canal (8LL34) separates these two mound groups. Further southeast, near the shore, is the Old Mound (8LL37). Inland, south of the canal, are other features. These include the Surf Clam Ridge, Citrus Ridge, and the Low Mound (8LL1612). The Smith Mound (8LL36) is also inland and was used for burials. Farthest inland, north of the canal, is Adam's Mound (8LL38).
People lived at the Pineland site for most of the Caloosahatchee culture period. This was from about the year 50 until after 1700. The site also has some more recent buildings. These include the old Pineland Post Office and the Ruby Gill House.
Protecting the Pineland Site
The Pineland Site Complex is a special area. It protects the old archaeological finds and nature of the site. The University of Florida Foundation helps manage it. They work with the Archeological Conservancy, Lee County, and the Calusa Land Trust.
The State of Florida has marked 211 acres (85 ha) of land here. This area is important for its history. In 1996, the Randell family gave 53 acres (210,000 m2) of the site to the University of Florida. This part is now the Randell Research Center. It's a place for learning and research. By 2012, the state had bought 63 acres (25 ha) of land. They were also working to buy more land or protect it.
Battey's Landing: A Key Area
Battey's Landing is a central part of the Pineland site. In 1895, a researcher named Frank Hamilton Cushing visited the area. He said Battey's Landing covered about 100 acres (40 ha). By 1989, only about 20 acres (8.1 ha) remained. This part was saved by landowners Don and Pat Randell.
Cushing described the site as stretching about .25 miles (0.40 km) inland. It also went about .75 miles (1.21 km) along the shore. He noted five very large rectangular "courts." These were surrounded by nine square terraces. There were also benches, courts, and enclosed areas. These stretched south from the main site, getting smaller.
Canals connected these courts to Pine Island Sound. Cushing described the Pine Island Canal. It led from Pine Island Sound between two very tall shell mounds. It went to a court that was lower than the others. From the east end of this court, a canal ran east. This canal was 30 feet (9.1 m) wide and 6 feet (1.8 m) deep. It went into the island's center. Much of Battey's Landing, especially the courts, was used for farming when Cushing visited.
The Smith Mound and Other Finds
The Smith Mound is different from other mounds at Pineland. Most mounds were shell middens, which are piles of shells from food. But the Smith Mound is made of sand with thin layers of shell. It was used as a burial site.
The Smith Mound was originally about 300 feet (91 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) high. Cushing described it as 375 feet (114 m) long, 150 feet (46 m) wide, and 58 feet (18 m) high. A pond surrounded it, fed by a canal from the Pine Island Canal. A path went around the mound to its flat top. Cushing found pieces of pottery (potsherds), broken shell ladles, and human bones on the mound.
The Smith Mound was built about 1000 years ago. Part of it was destroyed over a century ago. The pond and canal next to it were also filled in. However, half of the mound and the pond were saved by its owner, Captain Smith.
Pineland's Ancient History
The Pineland site faces the shallow Pine Island Sound. The people of Pineland mostly ate fish and shellfish from the Sound. Early in the Current Era, during a warm period, sea levels were higher. During this time, people at Pineland left long piles of shells (middens) along the shore. Several lines of middens formed as people moved around. They moved because the sea level in the Sound changed.
Later, the climate became cooler. Sea levels dropped so much that Pine Island Sound could not support enough fish. Around the 9th century, Pineland and other towns on Pine Island's west side were left empty. People moved to places with deeper water. These included the Mark Pardo Shellworks Site and Useppa. This time also saw changes in pottery.
A warmer period began around the 10th century. Sea levels in Pine Island Sound quickly returned to their old levels. Pineland was then settled again in the 10th century.
Starting in the 10th century, the people of Pineland built new mounds. These mounds were in groups and went straight out from the shore. This was different from the older middens that ran along the shore. These mounds grew up to 7 metres (23 ft) tall by about 1200. During this time, a natural waterway was changed into the Pine Island Canal. The Smith Mound was also started in the 11th century.
Around 1100, there was a short cool spell. Sea levels in Pine Island Sound dropped again. The Pineland site seems to have been empty from before 1100 until about 1150. The Little Ice Age began around 1200. This also lowered sea levels in Pine Island Sound. However, they never dropped as low as they did during the earlier cool period.
