A Window to the Past — 4,500 years of history at Mount Elizabeth

About the Presentation Mount Elizabeth is a large, 31-foot-tall shell mound bordering the Indian River estuary in Martin County, Florida. Extensive excavations at the site in 2008 and 2009 were funded, in part, with a state grant to determine if a "viewing window” into the mound was viable as part of the rehabilitation of the over 14,000 square foot Mediterranean Revival mansion built on top of the site in 1938. The companion restoration project provided an opportunity to sample all 16-feet of archaeological layers in the mound, including excavation under the mansion itself. Field excavations and laboratory work were supported by dozens of volunteers from the Southeast Florida Archeological Society and the Friends of Mount Elizabeth. This presentation will illustrate what life was like for early peoples in south Florida through the 4,500 hundred year history of this fascinating site. Specialized analyses on artifacts and plant and animal bone remains will reveal how archaeologists learn about people in deep time, including results of a recent study by John Furey of the nearly 500 shark’s teeth recovered, including 52 that were used as tools. About the Speakers Theresa Schober is an archaeologist who led excavations of Mt Elizabeth, as well as a number of local sites. She serves SWFAS as the chapter representative to the Florida Anthropological Society, where she is also a board member. John Furey is an archaeologist who is the president of SWFAS and excavated the Boca Weir site in Highland Beach. Photo caption 1: Volunteer field crew with archaeologist Theresa Schober at the base of the Mount Elizabeth site. Photo by John Whiticar. Photo caption 2: Mount Elizabeth from the Indian River ca. 1890s. Courtesy of the Thurlow/Ruhnke Collection. Photo caption 3: Theresa Schober. Photo by Dirk Rheker. Photo caption 4: John Furey.

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