Santa Rosa–Swift Creek culture facts for kids
The Santa Rosa–Swift Creek culture was a group of ancient people who lived in parts of what is now Florida and Alabama. They were known for their special ceremonies, growing communities, and building large mounds to bury their dead. These people also started living in one place for longer periods and relied more on farming for their food.
The name "Santa Rosa" comes from an important old site called Santa Rosa Island in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The "Swift Creek" part of the name comes from another key site near Swift Creek in Bibb County, Georgia.
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How the Culture Started
The Santa Rosa–Swift Creek culture grew out of an earlier group called the Early Woodland Deptford culture. Over time, the Deptford people changed and developed into the Santa Rosa–Swift Creek culture right in the same areas.
Trade and Connections
Archaeologists have found interesting objects in the burial mounds built by these people. These items include things like copper panpipes, ear decorations, stone weights for fishing, and stone necklaces called gorgets. These special items show that the Santa Rosa–Swift Creek people were connected to a large trade network. This network, known as the Hopewellian Interaction Sphere, linked many different groups across ancient North America around 100 AD.
Where They Lived
The Santa Rosa–Swift Creek culture spread across the western part of the Florida panhandle and nearby areas of Alabama. Most of their settlements have been found near estuaries, which are places where rivers meet the sea. These areas include places like St. Andrews Bay and Pensacola Bay.
Pottery Styles
We know about this culture partly from the different types of pottery they made. In their village trash heaps, called middens, archaeologists find a mix of two main pottery styles: Swift Creek pottery and Santa Rosa pottery. Santa Rosa pottery is a type of pottery that is similar to the Marksville pottery found in other regions.
When They Lived
Scientists have used a method called radiocarbon dating to figure out when the Santa Rosa–Swift Creek culture existed. They have dated four important sites.
Early and Later Periods
Two sites near Choctawhatchee Bay show that the culture was present there between 150 AD and 450 AD. However, two sites near Pensacola Bay have been dated to a slightly later period, from 350 AD to 650 AD. This suggests that the Santa Rosa–Swift Creek culture might have arrived a bit later in the Pensacola Bay area.
For example, older Deptford pottery has been dated to 260 AD in the Pensacola Bay area, but only to 150 AD in the Choctawhatchee Bay area. Santa Rosa pottery, which is a key part of this culture, appeared in both the Choctawhatchee Bay and Pensacola Bay areas by about 50 BCE (Before the Common Era).
