The Archaeology of La Florida

Abstract

The Spanish exploration and exploitation of the southeastern United States, what the Spaniards called La Florida (Fig.1), has long been the subject of historical and archaeological research. The de Soto entrada was the first European exploration of this region and has intrigued scholars for scores of years. St. Augustine was the first permanent European settlement, and archaeological work there has been ongoing for over half a century. Yet, archaeological research on Spanish sites lagged significantly behind that of their British counterparts during most of the twentieth century. This was especially apparent during the years leading up to the American Bicentennial celebration. However, this trend had reversed by the end of the century, and if there is presently less research on Hispanic sites it is only because there are fewer of them.