Real Florida Trek to an Ancient Native Shell Pyramid

On this trip, we took advantage of the cooler weather to trek through snake and alligator territory, which would usually be too dangerous to navigate. We passed multiple alligator beds as we strenuously hiked through difficult marsh terrain full of wiregrass and marl. At this site, we saw multiple texture types imprinted on discarded potsherds. Most of the ornamental textures were St. John's period check stamped, linear check stamped, and there appeared to be mat impressed. Parallel to the mound site was a hardwood hammock of trees. Since, this is such a large midden covering an acre or two, this hammock of trees and the areas surrounding the mound was likely where huts and living quarters were located. At one time Florida was inhabited by millions of Native Americans. This section of the St. John's River with its many middens and mounds must have supported a fairly large population.