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Schwadron suggests that the depressions may have been oyster roasting pits or the sites of structures. The shell fields consist primarily of small oyster shells with some conch and whelk shells, and many artifacts, including ceramics and shell tools. The base level of the shell fields consists of a mixture of broken and unbroken oyster shell, with no artifacts and very little soil. On top of the base is a very thin layer of crushed oyster shell, interpreted as an old ground surface. Possible post holes, now filled with soil, extend from this layer into the base layer. Above the old ground surface is a midden layer, consisting of oyster shells with about 20% soil mixed in, and ceramics and shell tools. The modern surface is a sandy loam. The ceramics are classified as late Glades I period, from 500 to 750. Two shell samples yielded calibrated radiocarbon dates of 400-580 and 450-620. This time period corresponds to that in which the shell fields at
Fakahatchee Key were constructed.
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with "water courts", depressions deep enough to retain water. Some may have stored rain water for drinking, while others, with a connection to open water, may have served as fish traps. The finger ridges are also constructed from clean, whole oyster shells, but are covered by a midden layer of black earth and shells with many artifacts and fish bones. Shell samples from the lower levels of the finger ridges yielded calibrated radiocarbon dates of 660 to 810, while samples from below the midden layer yielded dates of 990 to 1290. Some of the ceramics found in the midden layer are attributed the Glades IIIa period, 1200 to 1400. There is no evidence of occupation of Dismal Key after that period (until the 20th century).
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mounds 3 metres (9.8 ft) to 4 metres (13 ft) tall. Three of the largest mounds are centrally located, with a canal leading between two of the tallest mounds. The second largest mound, 6 metres (20 ft) tall, is at the northern edge of the shell works. The tallest mound has a ramp to the shell fields. The third tallest mound has a ramp leading away from the shell fields, to a zone of shell ridges and "water courts". Shell samples from the tops of the largest mounds yielded calibrated radiocarbon dates of 580 to 860.
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ring is constructed of layers of clean, unbroken oyster shells mixed with layers of crushed oyster and other shells, with some fish bones. The ring appears to have been rapidly constructed in several episodes. The layers of crushed shell, which include possible post holes, may have been living floors. Artifacts found in the ring include ceramics, shell and bone tools, shark teeth, and sting ray spines. A
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270:, shells piled up by human activity, with various apparently designed features. The key is crescent shaped, and roughly bilaterally symmetric. The structure of the shell works on Dismal Key resembles that of other shell works in the Ten Thousand Islands, including Fakahatchee Key, Russell Key, Sandfly Key,
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of about 275 metres (902 ft) in width and up to 4 metres (13 ft) high is located in the open end of the shell works on Dismal Key. A central plaza about 50 metres (160 ft) across surrounds a deep pond. The opening in the ring faces northeast, away from the rest of the shell works. The
262:
people at the time of first contact with
Europeans. Archaeological evidence indicates that artifacts in the Ten Thousand Islands region changed from resembling those of the Glades culture to resembling those of the Caloosahatchee culture around 1300, indicating absorption by or strong influence from
358:
found a settler named
Gandeese on Dismal Key when he visited it in 1918. Eardley Foster Atkinson settled on Dismal Key in the early 1950s. After Atkinson's death, Al Seely moved to Dismal Key, and was living there in 1988. A hermit known only as Niranjan was living on Dismal Key in 1992. The island
333:
Partially surrounding the shell fields is an arc of mounds, covering about 6 hectares (15 acres) Four of the mounds are 100 metres (330 ft) or more long, at least 30 metres (98 ft) wide, and 5 metres (16 ft) to 7.5 metres (25 ft) high. Flanking the large mounds are eight smaller
337:
A dozen finger ridges, 20 metres (66 ft) to 40 metres (130 ft) wide and 60 metres (200 ft) to 70 metres (230 ft) m long, radiate out from the arc of mounds towards the water. The finger ridges are separated from each other by canals. Several of the finger ridges are associated
244:
southward through the Ten
Thousand Islands. Many of the shell works are surrounded by water, forming artificial islands, often called keys. The shell works were the sites of villages, occupied by people who depended primarily on fishing, but also hunted and gathered wild foods. Shells works have
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Relatively flat shell fields, of about 6.5 hectares (16 acres) in area, are in the interior of the shell works, separated from the shell ring by mangroves, with a series of mounds partly surrounding the shell fields. The shell fields have some very low ridges and shallow depressions and ponds.
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flake was found (the nearest source of chert is 250 kilometres (160 mi) away). Fragments of human bone and a human tooth were found, but excavation was halted in the area to avoid further disturbing a potential grave site. Six shell samples from the ring yielded
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A long (about 640 metres (2,100 ft)), narrow and relatively straight low shell ridge extends from the southeastern end of the island, running to the south of the shell ring. It is similar to a feature at Key Marco, and has been compared to a
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and the Ten
Thousand Islands, was occupied by people of the Ten Thousand Islands region of the Glades culture. Both the Caloosahatchee culture area and the Ten Thousand Islands region of the Glades culture area were occupied by the
263:
the Calusa. Schwadron notes that many of the shell works sites in the Ten
Thousand Islands appear to have been abandoned shortly before 1300, and suggests that the people of those sites may have migrated into Calusa territory.
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and 50 BCE, very early in the Glades culture period. While the shell ring appears to have been a habitation site, 4 metres (13 ft) of shell were deposited in 150 years, and the ring is not just a
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complex structures, apparently designed to separate spaces by use; domestic, public and sacred. The northern part of the range in which shell works are found, from
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in
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collecting rainfall from the roof of the house is the only regular source of fresh water on the island. Archaeologist
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Landscapes of
Maritime Complexity: Prehistoric Shell Works sites of the Ten Thousand Islands, Florida
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Dismal Key is about 30 hectares (74 acres) in size. The entire key above water consists of
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638:(Second, revised ed.). Coral Gables, Florida: University of Miami Press. p.
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at times during the 20th century. A house was built in the island around 1913. A
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The southwest coast of
Florida has many large artificial structures known as
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The Calusa and Their Legacy: South Florida People and Their Environments
428:. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. pp. 299, 311.
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611:. DeLand, Florida: Florida State Historical Society. pp. 31–32
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453:. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. p. 6.
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A fictional airport on Dismal Key is the scene of episode 1 of
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Dismal Key is the locale for the second half of the novel
216:. The island is artificial, constructed by people of the
449:
MacMahon, Darcie A. and William H. Marquardt (2004).
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677:"Island hermit rebuilds like spiders after Andrew"
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403:"Everglades Archaeological Heritage: Shell Works"
730:(Ph.D.). University of Leicester. Archived from
1486:Protection of Native American sites in Florida
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675:Sullivan, Christopher (September 20, 1992).
654:"Florida Everglades Hermits, 1940's to 1980"
253:. The southern part of the range, including
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1481:Indigenous peoples of the Everglades region
797:Indigenous peoples of Pre-Columbian Florida
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579:Platero, John (September 12, 1982).
426:Archaeology of Precolumbian Florida
1552:Islands of Collier County, Florida
684:Plattsburg (N.Y.) Press-Republican
68:
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346:Dismal Key has been inhabited by
1497:List of shell ring sites#Florida
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566:Schwadron: 58, 137, 206-208, 210
249:, was occupied by people of the
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1567:Archaeological sites in Florida
204:is a small island, part of the
1:
754:Topographic Map of Dismal Key
630:Tebeau, Charlton W. (1968).
581:"'The Hermit of Dismal Key'"
424:Milanich, Jerald T. (1994).
298:calibrated radiocarbon dates
278:, suggesting a common plan.
1014:Big Mound Key-Boggess Ridge
956:North peninsular Gulf coast
608:The anthropology of Florida
1588:
1264:Ortona Prehistoric Village
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803:
724:Schwadron, Margo (2010).
160:
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1562:Shell middens in Florida
1249:Naval Live Oaks Cemetery
1054:Cayson Mound and Village
359:was unoccupied in 2003.
605:Hrdlička, Aleš (1922).
557:Schwadron: 136-137, 206
509:Schwadron: 134, 198-203
405:. National Park Service
1184:Letchworth-Love Mounds
1129:Hickory Ridge Cemetery
989:Aqui Esta Burial Mound
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923:Santa Rosa-Swift Creek
251:Caloosahatchee culture
81:Dismal Key (Caribbean)
1441:Manasota Key Offshore
1424:Yon Mound and Village
1199:Mark Pardo Shellworks
1169:Kimball Island Midden
978:
634:Man in the Everglades
228:in the 20th century.
130:25.88944°N 81.55194°W
84:Show map of Caribbean
1456:Warm Mineral Springs
1029:Bowers Bluff Middens
206:Ten Thousand Islands
150:Ten Thousand Islands
1359:Shell Bluff Landing
1304:Pompano Beach Mound
1244:Myakkahatchee Creek
1194:Madira Bickel Mound
1174:Lake Jackson Mounds
825:Post-Archaic period
734:on 13 December 2013
693:on 24 December 2013
548:Schwadron: 137, 206
491:Schwadron: 133, 150
208:archipelago in the
135:25.88944; -81.55194
126: /
51:Show map of Florida
18:
1557:Islands of Florida
1409:Waddells Mill Pond
1354:Shark River Slough
1189:Little Salt Spring
980:
539:Schwadron: 205-206
363:In popular culture
276:Chokoloskee Island
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1531:Pre-Columbian era
1476:Beaver Lake point
1369:Third Gulf Breeze
1179:Lake Pithlachocco
1099:Fort Walton Mound
386:television show.
329:Mounds and ridges
212:off the coast of
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1079:Devil's Den Cave
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999:Bear Lake Mounds
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1384:Turtle Mound
1379:Turner River
1374:Thomas Creek
1364:Spruce Creek
1344:Ross Hammock
1314:Porter's Bar
1294:Platt Island
1259:Ormond Mound
1234:Mount Taylor
1204:Miami Circle
1159:Jungle Prada
1149:J&J Hunt
1124:Helen Blazes
1109:Garden Patch
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1034:Bubba Midden
1019:Bird Hammock
893:Mount Taylor
815:Paleoindians
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736:. Retrieved
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1572:Shell rings
1505:Shell works
1404:Velda Mound
1389:Twin Mounds
1274:Page-Ladson
1229:Mount Royal
1214:Monroe Lake
1114:Green Mound
1104:Galt Island
1094:Fort Center
938:Swift Creek
873:Fort Walton
848:Belle Glade
697:23 December
660:23 December
656:. Hermitary
615:27 December
590:23 December
409:26 December
370:Nature Girl
268:shell works
238:shell works
232:Shell works
146:Archipelago
133: /
109:Coordinates
1546:Categories
1491:Shell ring
1419:Yent Mound
1334:Rock Mound
1324:River Styx
1239:Mullet Key
1084:Dismal Key
1074:Demere Key
1059:C. J. Ostl
1049:Cayo Pelau
1039:Burns Lake
853:Cades Pond
738:8 December
718:References
383:the Finder
323:breakwater
288:shell ring
282:Shell ring
247:Estero Bay
202:Dismal Key
121:81°33′07″W
118:25°53′22″N
75:Dismal Key
48:Dismal Key
42:Dismal Key
17:Dismal Key
1269:Otis Hare
1219:Mound Key
1209:Mill Cove
1164:Key Marco
1024:Blueberry
994:Bay Pines
949:McKeithen
928:St. Johns
913:Pensacola
390:Citations
272:Key Marco
94:Geography
1461:Windover
1451:Vero man
1289:Pineland
1254:Nocoroco
888:Manasota
868:Deptford
836:cultures
99:Location
1527:Related
1435:remains
898:Norwood
843:Alachua
809:Periods
352:cistern
348:hermits
342:Hermits
226:hermits
214:Florida
194:Collier
184:Florida
1284:Pierce
1069:Cutler
878:Glades
863:Clovis
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306:midden
260:Calusa
190:County
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1433:Human
1299:Plaza
970:sites
691:(PDF)
680:(PDF)
293:chert
180:State
740:2011
699:2013
662:2013
617:2013
592:2013
455:ISBN
430:ISBN
411:2013
274:and
373:by
302:BCE
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