SouthArc News

News….

Sweet Cane Published

The University of Alabama Press has just released Sweet Cane: The Architecture of the Sugar Works of East Florida, by SouthArc’s Vice President, Lucy Wayne. The book combines archaeological, historical and architectural research on eight sugar works sites located in Volusia and Flagler Counties in East Florida. These sites were constructed between the second half of the 18th century and 1835, but were destroyed during the Second Seminole War of 1835-1842. Most were never rebuilt and the sugar industry moved to other areas in Florida. This book provides a history of the industry, a discussion of the impact of technological changes on the sugar works, and a history and description of each of the eight sites. The book is available from the University of Alabama Press (www.uapress.ua.edu) and through several on-line book companies.

SouthArc Presents at SHA

In January, 2010, Martin Dickinson and Lucy Wayne presented papers at the Society for Historical Archaeology Conference at Amelia Island, Florida. Martin’s paper, The Salt Works of Salt Island, Florida, was presented in Under Siege: Gulf Coast Commerce, Industry, and Conflict During the Civil War. The paper reported on documentation of a small salt works on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Lucy’s paper, Cabins on the River: The Verdiere Point Site, was presented in Beyond Contracts and Compliance: CRM Contributions to Histories of the Southeast U.S. The paper reported on excavations of a small slave occupation on the St. Johns River near Palatka, Florida.

Lucy Wayne Becomes President of ACRA

In September, 2009, Lucy Wayne took office as the President of the American Cultural Resource Association (ACRA). ACRA is a national trade association of firms involved in cultural resource management, including archaeologists, architectural historians, historians and preservation planners (see www.acra-crm.org). Lucy has served on the Board of Directors or as an officer of ACRA for 10 years; she will serve a two-year term as President.

Pre-Hispanic Maya Agriculture and Beekeeping.

In 2009, SouthArc archaeologist Ivan Batun-Alpuche received his Ph.D. degree from University of Florida. Dr. Batun defended his dissertation about agricultural intensification and beekeeping practices during the Maya Postclassic period (A.D. 1200-1518) at the island of Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Field investigations for This study were financed by the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., and consisted in intensive survey and mapping of agricultural fields and apiaries in the southeastern portion of Cozumel near the Postclassic site of Buena Vista (see www.famsi.org/reports/02016/).

New Display at Dudley Farm

In October 2008 SouthArc completed a small display on the archaeology of the Farm. Dudley Farm Historic State Park is an authentic living history working pioneer farm located in Alachua County near Newberry, Florida (http://www.floridastateparks.org/DudleyFarm/). It was donated to the Florida Park Service by the Dudley family to provide educational opportunities for the public.

In 2001 and 2002, SouthArc, Inc. completed extensive excavations were designed to provide more information on activity area associated with the existing farm buildings, as well as on the few missing or relocated buildings.

The display was presented to the Dudley Farm Historic State Park and the Friends of Dudley Farm on Saturday, October 18. SouthArc is proud to have contributed to the public’s understanding of life at Dudley Farm.