Harney Flats

"Represents another stepping stone toward our understanding of life in the Southeast 10,000–11,000 years ago."--Southeastern Archaeology







"The Paleoindian component at Harney Flats is a benchmark in early [human] studies in Florida and the Southeast."--North American Archaeologist







"A work which must be recognized as a definitive study of Paleoindians in Florida and which will serve as a model for future archaeological studies throughout North America and elsewhere."--Florida Anthropologist







"The book is a Florida Paleoindian classic."--Dan F. Morse, coauthor of Archaeology of the Central Mississippi Valley








Discovered during construction of the I-75 corridor northeast of Tampa, the site of Harney Flats was a turning point in the archaeology of the southeastern United States. Beneath evidence of human settlement from the Middle Archaic period, researchers unearthed Paleoindian stone tools--representing a rare example of a stratified site in the Southeast with a Paleoindian occupation. The expansive excavations at Harney Flats demonstrated that significant land-based sites of early human settlement exist in Florida and are worth exploring.

Harney Flats describes the excavation, which was praised for its state-of-the-art strategy and interpretive methods despite its sandy environment, and details the objects uncovered--projectile points, scrapers, adzes--and what they reveal about the lives of the people who used them. Including an update on relevant research since its first publication, this volume is the definitive account of a critical finding in the study of early human history.