Evidence of ancient Native American life uncovered near Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Archaeological discoveries near Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station have revealed evidence of Native American life dating back to the Malabar II period, approximately 900 to 1,565 CE. The findings, announced by the University of Central Florida's Anthropology Department, come from the DeSoto archaeological site.

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We have found the refuse of many dozens of meals. We know from our finds this year at DeSoto that turtles, shark, black drum, and coquina clams were on the menu.

Researchers involved in UCF’s Cape Canaveral Archaeological Mitigation Project (CCAMP) uncovered midden deposits, which are ancient refuse piles. These middens contained pottery fragments, conch shell hammers, and shark tooth knives, suggesting tools used for food preparation. Traces of various seafood, including shark, fish, and clams, were found, indicating a diet rich in locally obtained resources.

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Ancient people fished the lagoon and the beachfront.

Sarah Barber, a UCF anthropology professor, noted that while the Indigenous residents of the site did not farm, evidence suggests access to ground corn farmed by people in North Florida. The middens contained refuse from many meals, with turtles, shark, black drum, and coquina clams identified as part of the menu. The team anticipates that analysis of plant remains will further clarify whether these animal foods were supplemented with plants like acorns and greenbriar.

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Indigenous people made deliberate choices about what they ate, with shark remains found at the site but little evidence that dolphins were hunted.

Further discoveries at the site include the complete vertebral column of a shark and an unidentified object possibly made of fossil or whale bone. Hundreds of pottery shards and remnants of at least one hearth were also found. Barber highlighted that these Indigenous people lived in relatively dense communities and relied entirely on local food sources for thousands of years, exerting significantly less stress on the environment compared to modern times. Their lifestyle allowed for pottery production, travel, and interaction with distant regions.

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The Indigenous people of Cape Canaveral lived in relatively dense communities and relied 100% on locally obtained food. They did it for thousands of years, and they didn’t put the kind of stress on the local environment that we have in far less time.