New Find Sheds Light on (Really) Old Florida

The following guest column by Gulf Coast President|CEO Mark Pritchett appeared in the March 17 edition of SRQ Daily:

An unprecedented discovery in our own backyard has made international news in recent weeks. This breathtaking archaeological find—almost 3,000 years older than the Great Pyramids—offers a unique glimpse of the lives and landscape of the indigenous people who called this place home over 7,000 years before us. It also reinforces how deep Florida’s history runs and why it’s worth protecting and preserving.

In many senses, ours is a “new” state. Florida’s population has grown nearly 700 percent since 1950. Traditionally dominant industries in our region have focused on attracting people here and building places for them to stay, often permanently. You can pick your favorite joke about how hard it can be to find someone who was born here or how long a structure needs to stand to earn the label “historic.”

But look beyond the clichés and you’ll find that our history is rich, varied and, frankly, a big draw for those who come here. From the elegant mid-century modern architecture of the Sarasota School, to the walkable charms of the John Nolen-planned Venice Historic District, to the vestiges of pioneer life interpreted at places like Historic Spanish Point, our region oozes history, and residents and visitors love to soak it in. And then there’s the archaeological record, which spans 14,000 years and includes virtually every stage of human habitation of North America.

Newly added to that record is an incredible find 21 feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico just off the coast of Venice. 

Read the rest of Mark’s column in SRQ Daily…