Ms. Jennifer A Melcher

Pensacola’s historic cemeteries present a unique assemblage of vernacular markers created during the 1910s through the 1920s.Unlike many vernacular markers which often appear to be single instances done by family or friends, these markers were made by a community artisan as they include duplicate examples of the same style of marker over a series of years. These markers represent a distinctive choice by the deceased’s family, as there are commercially available markers in these cemeteries from the same period. This poster presents a detailed look at these markers and their stylistic variations and attempts to trace the commonality in their creation by investigating the identity of the deceased and their community.

Following the fortuitous 2015 discovery of a substantial assemblage of mid-16th-century Spanish ceramics in a residential neighborhood overlooking the Emanuel Point shipwrecks in Pensacola Bay, the University of West Florida Archaeology Institute worked with more than 120 landowners to conduct extensive archaeological testing across a broad area in order to determine the boundaries of and to explore the site. This article compares documentary and archaeological evidence to confirm the identification of the roughly 13–15 ha site as Tristán de Luna y Arellano’s 1559–1561 settlement,making it the largest mid-16th-century Spanish colonial site in the Southeast and the earliest multiyear European settlement in the entire United States.

Después del descubrimiento fortuito en 2015 de un conjunto sustancial de cerámica española de mediados del siglo 16 en un vecindario residencial con vistas a los naufragios de Emanuel Point en la Bahía de Pensacola, el Instituto de Arqueología de la Universidad de West Florida trabajó con más de 120 propietarios para realizar pruebas arqueológicas exhaustivas en un área amplia para determinar los límites y explorar el sitio. Este artículo compara la evidencia documental y arqueológica para confirmar la identificación del sitio de aproximadamente 13–15 ha como el asentamiento de Tristán de Luna y Arellano de 1559–1561, convirtiéndolo en el sitio colonial español más grande de mediados del siglo 16 en el sudeste y el primer asentamiento europeo de varios años en todo el territorio de Estados Unidos.

À la suite de la découverte fortuite en 2015 d'un assemblage considérable de céramiques espagnoles datant de la moitié du 16ème siècle dans un quartier résidentiel surplombant l'épave du Emanuel Point à Pensacola Bay, l'lnstitut d'archéologie de l'Université de Floride occidentale a collaboré avec plus de 120 propriétaires terriens afin de conduire de vastes opérations de tests archéologiques à travers une large zone, visant à déterminer les limites du site et à en faire l'exploration. Cet article compare des preuves documentaires et archéologiques afin de confirmer l'identification du site d'environ 13 à 15 hectares comme étant la colonie implantée en 1559 et 1561 désignée sous le nom de Tristán de Luna y Arellano. Ceci en ferait le site colonial espagnol le plus important dans le Sud-Ouest à la moitié du 16ème siècle et la toute première colonie européenne active durant plusieurs années pour tous les États-Unis.

Following the fortuitous 2015 discovery of a substantial assemblage of mid-16th-century Spanish ceramics in a residential neighborhood overlooking the Emanuel Point shipwrecks in Pensacola Bay, the University of West Florida Archaeology Institute worked with more than 120 landowners to conduct extensive archaeological testing across a broad area in order to bound and explore the site. This paper compares documentary and archaeological evidence to confirm the identification of the roughly 10-hectare site as Tristán de Luna’s 1559-1561 settlement, making it the largest mid-16th-century Spanish colonial site in the Southeast, and the earliest multi-year European settlement in the entire United States.

In 2011, University of West Florida terrestrial field school students participated in a third consecutive year of excavations at Mission San Joseph de Escambe, located north of modern Pensacola between 1741 and 1761. Inhabited by Apalachee Indians and a small number of Franciscan friars and married Spanish soldiers, as well as a Spanish cavalry garrison late in the mission's history, the site's pristine archaeological deposits are gradually revealing details about mission life along this northernmost frontier of 18th-century West Florida. Ongoing block excavations have continued to expose a complex assemblage of architectural features separated by both vertical and horizontal stratigraphy, including several overlapping wall-trench structures capped with what seems to be a clay floor, and a large structure believed to be the cavalry barracks. Artifacts ranging from a predominantly Apalachee ceramic assemblage to an assortment of European trade goods continue to refine our understanding of this important site.

In 2009, documentary evidence and archaeological testing led to the discovery of the archaeological site of Mission San Joseph de Escambe (c1741-1761) along the Escambia River north of Pensacola. Home to Apalachee Indians and resident Spanish friars and soldiers, the mission’s excavated material culture clearly reflects the multi-ethnic nature of this late mission community, and is comparable to contemporaneous assemblages from Presidios Isla de Santa Rosa (1722-1756) and San Miguel (1756-1763). Of particular note is the aboriginal ceramic assemblage, which displays characteristics reflecting the origins of the resident Apalachee as refugees formerly living in Creek Indian territory before 1718. Archaeological excavations conducted by the University of West Florida during the 2009 and 2010 summer field schools have also produced evidence for several undisturbed wall trench structures, including what may be Spanish cavalry barracks constructed in 1760, as well as multiple overlapping structures under a prepared clay cap.