Florida Public Archaeology Network - Central Region

Florida Public Archaeology Network - Central Region Repping Gilchrist, Levy, Bradford, Alachua, Marion, Citrus, Hernando, Sumter and Lake Counties.

Our vision is a complete and representative history of Florida that equitably represents the influence of all people that has been imprinted on the landscape. We approach our mission by work in three core areas: Public Outreach, Assistance to Local Governments, and Assistance to the Florida Division of Historical Resources. Our Regional Centers operate visible public outreach programs, including p

romotion of archaeological/heritage tourism; partnerships with Florida Anthropological Society chapters and other regional heritage organizations; dissemination of archaeological information to the public; promotion of existing regional heritage events and programs; and promotion of archaeological volunteer opportunities. We support local governments in their efforts to preserve and protect regional archaeological resources by assisting with local archaeological ordinances, comprehensive plan elements, and preservation plans; providing professional archaeological assistance with local archaeological emergencies; and advising local governments on the best management practices for municipally-owned and county-owned archaeological sites. We assist the Division of Historical Resources in its Archaeological Responsibilities by promoting Division programs, including grants; by supporting the Division with venues and professional assistance for regional training opportunities; by referring local inquiries to the appropriate Division office or staff member; by distributing literature promulgated by the Division; and by assisting with and promoting the identification and nomination of local archaeological sites to the National Register.

Happy Birthday to folklorist, storyteller, and keeper of Florida traditions Cousin Thelma Boltin! Born August 31, 1904, ...
08/31/2026

Happy Birthday to folklorist, storyteller, and keeper of Florida traditions Cousin Thelma Boltin! Born August 31, 1904, Cousin Thelma lived most of her life in Gainesville, Florida, traveling the state to collect songs and stories to share with future generations of Florida folk.

The State Archives of Florida has a collection of some of those recordings, give them a listen! https://www.floridamemory.com/learn/exhibits/florida-folklife/people/?id=boltin

08/28/2026

August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in front of hundreds of thousands of people at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In the 63 years since, these powerful words have echoed through Florida and every corner of this country.

Dr. Bernice King, seen in this video alongside her father, shared that these words continue to resonate "because the dream was never meant to be admired from a distance. It requires our participation. May we continue the work of making justice, dignity, opportunity, and genuine equality a lived reality for all."

May we all continue this work.

Watch for this camp next summer! It was a total hit.
08/28/2026

Watch for this camp next summer! It was a total hit.

It's hard to believe that our inaugural History Summer Camp is already over. What an amazing week with our incredible campers! We couldn't have done it without all of the people and organizations who made it possible. THANK YOU!

Guest Speakers:
- The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
- Alexa Neilson, Paleontologist from the Florida Museum of Natural History
- Dr. Charlie Cobb, Archaeologist from the Florida Museum of Natural History
- Gayle Ambrose, from Dudley Farm Historic State Park
- Chef D from D's Comfort Food
- Nigel Rudolf, Archaeologist from Florida Public Archaeology Network - Central Region

Sponsors:
- The Gainesville Rotary Club
- Visit Gainesville, Alachua County

Scholarships:
- Happy and John Amein
- Multiple anonymous donors

Volunteers:
- Liam Shanley
- Zoe Levin
- Chau Huynh

Staff:
- Mariana Rebello, PhD Student in School Psychology
- Caroline Amein, Education Coordinator and PhD Student in Archaeology

Finally...a new The Materialists Podcast Episode is out. Check it out!
08/21/2026

Finally...a new The Materialists Podcast Episode is out. Check it out!

The Materialists are…. Nigel Rudolph (FPAN Central Region) Mandy Wagner-Pelkey (FPAN Central Region) For more info on FPAN please visit http://fpan.us/ We would like to thank…. The Florida Public Archaeology Network, The University of South Florida - Department of Anthropology, For more info on ...

Who's excited for Friday's AoT at the The Depot Event Space? We can't wait! But since we have to wait anyways, why not c...
08/19/2026

Who's excited for Friday's AoT at the The Depot Event Space? We can't wait! But since we have to wait anyways, why not check out this 1823 Map of Florida?

Henry Tanner engraved this map based on surveys done by Charles Vignoles a full 22 years before Florida would be granted statehood!

This map is cool for a lot of reasons-- we can see rivers and shorelines that no longer exist, towns that disappeared more than a century ago, Indian hunting trails, and OMG IS THAT THE FIRST INSTANCE OF THE NAME "EVERGLADES" EVER RECORDED ON A MAP??! Yeah it is! Well, more like "Extensive inundated Region, covered with Pine and Hammock Islands, of all sizes, and generally called THE EVER GLADES" but that's kind of a mouthful.

You can check out the full HD version of this map at the Library of The Library of Congress here: https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3930.ct000731/?loclr=blogtea

See yall Friday!

This is just crazy. Leave graves alone!
08/17/2026

This is just crazy. Leave graves alone!

An urgent manhunt was underway on Saturday to track down a trio of so-called “tomb raiders” accused of stealing from cemeteries in at least nine states. NBC News’ Ryan Chandler has the details.

We hope to see y'all this Wednesday at the Matheson History Museum for this talk by the very impressive Dr. Judy Bense. ...
08/03/2026

We hope to see y'all this Wednesday at the Matheson History Museum for this talk by the very impressive Dr. Judy Bense.

She's kind of as big deal, though we may be just a little biased-- Dr. Bense worked to draft the legislation that created FPAN more than 20 years ago!

We have a few free tickets left for Wednesday's program with Dr. Judith Bense. Her book, "Early Spanish Florida," was recently selected to represent Florida literature at the 2026 National Book Festival in Washington D.C.!

Join us on Wednesday at 7pm to learn more about the Spanish, Indigenous, and African communities whose interactions reshaped the region.

Free registration: https://mathesonmuseum.networkforgood.com/events/102428-early-spanish-florida

Here's to the HMS scouts who braved heat, humidity and assorted biting bugs to make sure Bradford County history stays a...
07/29/2026

Here's to the HMS scouts who braved heat, humidity and assorted biting bugs to make sure Bradford County history stays above ground! Y'all are the GOAT!

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