In 1764, Juan de Rivera lived at present-day 22 St. George Street. He was born around 1732 into a family of either Guale or Yamassee Native Americans from the nearby mission Nuestra Señora del Rosario de la Punta. His father was Pedro de Rivera and his mother María de la Cruz. Rivera followed in his …
March is both Women's History Month and Florida Archaeology Month! Can you dig it? To celebrate the occasion, we are excavating the career of archaeologist Dr. Kathleen Deagan, whose work focuses on the colonial past of the Caribbean and St. Augustine. Deagan began her journey in archaeology in 1965 - when she enrolled into the …
Continue reading Digging Up The Past With Dr. Kathleen Deagan
Florida Archaeology Month is drawing to a close, so today we are going to illustrate one of our favorite digs. The 1993 archaeological excavation of Government House's plaza. The excavation aimed to investigate Government House's past - and grounds. Field notes from archaeological work at Government House in 1993. (UFDC) Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board …
Have you ever lost something big? How about an entire wall? Or a fort? Well, St. Augustine has. Over a century ago, much of our city's walls and defenses disappeared to history. But with the help of archaeologists, we now know where the former fortifications stood - under our streets. Today, we will drive over …
Archaeological sites are places where the present meets the past. Through digs the people of today connect with the people of the past. There they can unearth their heritage. In 1989, the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board used a dig at the Ribera Garden as an opportunity to educate the public about historical archaeology. An …
When archaeologists dig, they reveal centuries of lives and stories from a piece of land. The layers of history and dirt produce the foundation of the St. Augustine Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission's work. At sites - such as Oliveros House - we can see how stratified history can be in St. Augustine. So today, …
Whether you are in search of the Fountain of Youth or a great colonial well, St. Augustine has you covered. As long as there has been people here, life has focused around fresh water. Springs trickling up from the aquifer attracted generations of human habitation long before Juan Ponce de Leon. When European settlers arrived …
How do you map the past in a modern city? When structures disappear into history and roads shift with time, where do you look? In the Spring of 1981, archaeologists - led by Dr. Kathleen Deagan - set out to answer some of these questions for St. Augustine. They aimed to map St. Augustine's layout …
Some say if you take a picture, it will last longer. For us at Governor's House Library, this common saying holds truth. Among our collections, we preserve photographs related to the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board's archaeological projects. So on this winter day, let us take a look at some snapshots from a dig during …
Not all archaeologists wear fedoras and carry whips like in the movies. Our real-life heroes are more likely to use trowels and notebooks. Let us take a look at some of the archaeologists featured in the collections of Governor's House Library: Hale G. Smith Hale G. Smith at Arrivas House in its early stages of …
Governor's House Library 