Pre‑Columbian finds at UWF
An archaeological survey for the University of West Florida stadium project turned up pre‑Columbian Native American artifacts on the Pensacola campus, offering fresh evidence about Indigenous occupation of the area during earlier periods. The discovery came during construction planning and will feed museum study and local heritage assessments. (hotair.com)
The UWF Archaeology Institute’s announcement was posted March 24, 2026, and its team says the survey relocated a previously documented archaeological site that was first recorded on the Pensacola campus in 1989. (news.uwf.edu) Recovered ceramics have been attributed to at least two cultural phases: Weeden Island–linked material likely dating to about A.D. 600–900 and middle-to-late Mississippian ceramics dated roughly A.D. 1250–1600. (news.uwf.edu) UWF began the required archaeological work after receiving a state research permit and starting shovel‑test excavations at the beginning of March, following a Division of Historical Resources review of stadium‑related ground‑disturbing plans. (wusf.org) The infrastructure work is tied to the Darrell Gooden Stadium project, and university officials say the site investigation may shift some timelines but will not stop the current stadium infrastructure plans. (news.uwf.edu) Students and faculty conducted fieldwork that included shovel tests, soil screening and artifact documentation, with senior research associate Jennifer Melcher highlighting the hands‑on training value for students entering the cultural‑resource management job market. (news.uwf.edu) Investigators describe the location as a relatively small, unusually intact seasonal camp where people likely harvested hickory nuts and acorns and fished or hunted, and they say pottery decorations point to broader Gulf Coast connections worth further study. (wusf.org)
