Traces of Our Past lecture series

With FIPSE funds facilitating the construction of the New College Public Archaeology Lab and its program in regional heritage, I wanted to share the incredibly rich scholarship from Florida archaeology with the communities of Sarasota and Manatee counties. Thanks to generous funding by the Florida Humanities Council and a partnership with Time Sifters Archaeological Society, New College hosted four years of lectures on Florida’s past. NCF Communications filmed some of the presentations, and the YouTube links are below.

2009-10 Traces of our Past: Florida’s History through Archaeology

For the first year, five archaeologists came to NCF and addressed insights into the Florida past.

Traces of our Past: Series Introduction

Coping with Rising Water in Florida for 12,000 Years

Kenneth Sassaman, University of Florida

Archaeology in the Archives

Jerald Milanich, University of Florida

Archaeology of the Unconquered People

Brent Weisman, University of South Florida

Ancient Art of Florida’s Native People

Barbara Purdy, University of Florida

Discovering Civil War Florida

William Lees, Florida Public Archaeology Network

2010-11 Dialogues with Florida’s Past

In the second year of the series, we placed two scholars on stage to dialogue on crucial issues.

Archaeology and Climate Change

featuring Ken Sassaman, University of Florida and Frank Alcock, New College and director of Marine Policy Institute at Mote Marine Lab.

Lessons for the Environment

featuring Craig Pittman, the Tampa Bay Times and William H. Marquardt, University of Florida

Archaeology and the Preservation of History

featuring with Barbara Little and John McCarthy

2011-12 The Archaeology of Spanish La Florida

With the five hundredth anniversary of Ponce de Leon’s expedition to what he named la Florida, three lectures on Spanish period Florida (no videos available)

Ft. Mose: America’s Black Fortress of Freedom

Kathleen Deagan, University of Florida

These Old Streets: The Archaeology of Spanish St. Augustine

Robin Moore, St. Johns County Growth Management

The Emmanuel Point Ships: Florida’s Earliest Shipwrecks

Della Scott-Ireton, Florida Public Archaeology Network

Spring 2012

Willie Johns from Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum spoke at Seminole history for Archaeo-Fest (video not available)

2012-13 Voices from Native Florida

The final year of the series brought prominent members of Native American nations to NCF (no videos available)

Brian Zepeda

Seminole Tribe of Florida

C. Randall Daniels (Sakim)

Carrier of Traditions for the Apalachicola

The audience for the lecture series demonstrated the interest in the local communities for learning about the Florida past. Audiences ranged from 150 to 220 people at New College's Mildred F. Sainer Art & Music Pavilion.

Each year, Time Sifters Archaeological Society hosts interesting, engaging speakers at free, public presentations on the third Wednesday of the month (excluding the June-August) usually at the Selby Public Library; see their website for the schedule and details: Time Sifters Archaeological Society

In March 2016, the Time Sifters - NCPAL lecture series returned to New College for a special presentation by Michael Twitty on Culinary Justice.

In March 2017, New College New Topics included NCPAL and Vickie Oldham spoke on Newtown Alive: Courage. Dignity. Determination

The last in the decade-long series came in November 2017 with Brian Zepada (Seminole Tribe of Florida) presenting on his art