News & Public Affairs

Does Maya calendar predict end of world Friday? USF archaeologist says no listen

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Tags: archaeology, Christian Wells, Maya, Mayan calendar, apocalypse, USF

The calendar created by Maya people has kept track of time for more than 5,000 years, but it ends this Friday, December 21. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the world is ending. That’s according to an expert on the subject who dispelled some doomsday predictions at a lecture at USF Tampa last month.

Christian Wells is an associate professor of archaeology at USF who specializes in Maya culture. According to him, the world isn’t going t...

Thousands of years of indigenous history still on Florida land listen

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Tags: Maximo Park, Native Americans, archaeology, USF, Jeff Moates, springs, indian mounds

Many places across the state were home to Native Americans beginning thousands of years ago. The historical significance of some of those spots have been lost over time, but many of them have been preserved.

One of them is Maximo Park at the southern-most tip of Pinellas County. Where there is now an observation tower, beach front playground and picnic areas, there once was villages of Native Americans who were here long before Europeans settled in Florida. Jeff Moates is the Florida Pu...

Sarasota County and City of North Port hold public workshops to decide future of Warm Mineral Springs listen

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Tags: North Port, Sarasota County, Warm Mineral Springs, archaeology, tourism

The Sarasota County city of North Port is home to a cultural attraction, archeological resource and aquatic habitat called Warm Mineral Springs. In December of 2010, the City and the county purchased the springs for $5.5 million , and they’re now envisioning the future of Warm Mineral Springs under public ownership.

Over the past month, about 500 people attended three workshops hosted by Sarasota County and the City. At one mee...

Archaeologists concerned about disc golf course and beach erosion at St. Pete's Maximo Park listen

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Tags: Maximo Park, environment, St. Petersburg, Native Americans, archaeology

Maximo Park is regarded by many as an important environmental and archeological site in South Pinellas. It’s on Boca Ciega Bay alongside Eckerd College. But ten years ago a disc golf course was established. But can the disc golf players coexist with environmentalists and the local community?

Maximo Park is situated on a Tocobaga Indian mound that dates back 6,000 years. Ray Wunderlich, a member of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s Citizens Advisory Council, a board member of the Pinellas Cou...