Archaeology Students Explore Indigenous History at Cape Canaveral

Students and faculty from the University of Central Florida are delving into the history of indigenous peoples over 2,000 years ago, right near the famous Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, a site known for its modern space launches.

The excavation site, which dates back to the Malabar II era (approximately 900 AD to 1565 AD), consists of what’s referred to as “black earth mounds,” essentially built on layers of ancient refuse.

According to Sarah “Stacey” Barber, an anthropology professor at the University of Central Florida, these mounds essentially preserve the remnants of daily life, showcasing what people discarded after their tasks. She points out that the primary activity for the people at this site was focused on “obtaining and preparing food.”

Interestingly, while farming wasn’t a common practice, evidence shows that some individuals in the area had access to ground corn cultivated by Indigenous communities further north in Florida.

Native Americans in this locale mainly relied on local resources for sustenance, although imported items like corn and beans were also part of their diet. They dined on seafood too—sharks, fish, and shellfish, with some remains found in burial mounds.

“Numerous meal remains have been discovered,” the archaeologist noted. “Recent findings showed that turtles, sharks, black drum, and coquina shells were common fare.”

In addition to food remains, students unearthed pottery shards, cooking tools such as a conch hammer and a shark-tooth knife, and remnants of a hearth where meals were likely prepared.

These finds suggest that Indigenous peoples maintained contact with other tribes for centuries, all while utilizing the resources available to them in their environment.

Barber remarked, “Our site indicates a rich variety of food sources, sufficient time for pottery-making, and opportunities for travel and interaction with distant communities.” She added, “It was likely a comfortable seaside lifestyle.”

Since the 1950s, Cape Canaveral has served as the primary launch site for U.S. rockets, starting with the Bumper 8. It was briefly renamed Cape Kennedy in the 1960s in honor of President John F. Kennedy, a key figure in promoting space exploration.

Archaeologists find it particularly striking that this location, with its deep historical roots, simultaneously represents the present and future of American exploration.

Barber expressed, “Few locations in the world highlight the past’s role in shaping the present as vividly as Cape Canaveral, where the future of spaceflight is intertwined with the Native American landscape.”