Ancient potters migrated to Florida from the Mississippi region
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Archaeologists from the University of Florida and the Florida Museum of Natural History discovered evidence of Mississippian people migrating to the Tampa Bay area of Florida between 1,000 and 1,600 CE.
For decades, researchers debated how pottery resembling the Mississippian style appeared so far south. The team examined pottery shards collected decades ago and determined the clay came from local sources, ruling out long-distance trade as the origin.
They then analyzed the clay’s composition and found the potters tempered it with grog, crushed fragments of older pottery, a technique common in the Mississippian culture of the panhandle region. This grog contained pieces of even older, decorated pottery, showing a multi-generational practice. The Safety Harbor culture, already present in Tampa Bay, typically used sand to temper their clay, creating a clear distinction.
The researchers suggest the Mississippian potters maintained a special status within the Safety Harbor settlements by keeping their techniques somewhat exclusive. The discovery adds to understanding of the Mississippian culture’s reach and the blending of traditions in ancient Florida.
