Continued Archaeological Investigations of Early Human Occupation of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico (Cruise1of2)

Vessel: R/V Weatherbird II; Expedition Dates: August 8, 2011 to August 18, 2011; Ports: Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of Mexico

Project Principals: Dr. J. M. Adovasio¹, Dr. C. Andrew Hemmings²

Co-Project Principals: None

PI Institution(s): ¹Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute, ²University of Texas - Austin

Partnerships: Florida Department of State, University of Illinois Chicago, University of Texas Austin, Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Grant #: NA11OAR0110051; Award Period: June 01, 2011 - May 31, 2016

The project team identified over two thousand targets of interest on the inundated inner continental shelf along Florida's west coast in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico as a result of their 2008 and 2009 NOAA Ocean Exploration-funded fieldwork. Based on their hypothesis that submerged coastlines in the littoral zones of the eastern Gulf of Mexico contained intact beach features and indications of initial anthropogenic use of these environments, they carried out focused investigations to seek additional evidence of settlement and dispersal of late Pleistocene humans into and through the New World. Through targeted remote sensing, they explored channels and related geomorphological features of Florida west coast river systems that intersected with the submerged coastlines. They also deployed a remotely operated vehicle for verification and ground-truthing at deepwater sites. Their project shed new light on early human occupation and use of coastal paleo-environments. Funding for this project was provided by NOAA Ocean Exploration via its Ocean Exploration Fiscal Year 2011 Funding Opportunity.

Data Citation

Adovasio, J.M.; Hemmings, C. Andrew (2024). Environmental data and products from NOAA Ocean Exploration Grant Award NA11OAR0110051 Project: Continued Archaeological Investigations of Early Human Occupation of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Project Datasets. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/waf/ocean-exploration-nofo/11newworld/11newworld_cruise_landing_page.html. Accessed [date].