Crystal River Archaeological State Park preserves an ancient Native American ceremonial site located in a beautiful setting overlooking the wide Crystal River.The mounds here are surprisingly impressive, but little is really known about the people who built them starting 2,500 years ago. Crystal River Archaeological State Park This ancient archaeological park is home to Native American burial mounds, abandoned temple and platform mounds, and so much more. I was wanting to read your section on kayaking the "Chaz", but the link isn't working correctly. 365 days a year In Crystal River, you see signs for swim with the manatees on nearly every hotel and business. In 1960, much of the mound was used for road fill by a previous land owner. If you arrive in your own kayak or canoe, there is a location outside Three Sisters Springs where you can tie up and swim into the springs. The Crystal River Heritage Council, a council of the Citrus County Historical Society, operates the museum with an all-volunteer staff. Trails around restored wetlands and Lake Crystal are also available, as well as guided walks. The Franklin Anderson Gallery of Arts is one of Citrus Countys premiere fine art galleries dedicated to the local art scenes multidisciplinary works. Bullen, Ripley P. (1966). The park has many attractions and charges an adult admission of $13. The area is called Heritage Village. Web Crystal River Archaeological State Park. A .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}12 mile (800m) paved loop trail passes by each mound, with signs interpreting the mounds. Pottery not only provides a basis for dating but also helps archaeologists investigate diet, cuisine, technological change, social learning, social boundaries, kinship, trade and exchange, migration, demography, and many other topics. Crystal River Archeological State Park is one of the educational activities in Crystal River Florida. Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Port Hotel and Marina, 2355 S Ripple PathCrystal River, FL 34429(352) 228-8095, Click Here to See Ticket Price of Similar Activity. They were making choices that elevated certain places, and probably certain people, above others. On cold days, you may see dozens of wild manatees. Museum open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., The burial practices identified at Crystal River are also similar to those found at other mound sites in the Southeast and the Midwest. Their articles have been published in the Sun Sentinel, the Miami Herald, the Orlando Sentinel, The Guardian and Visit Florida. Founded in 2008, Faith Haven Christian Retreat Center offers an alternative destination to manatee experiences. Learn how your comment data is processed. The museum features an array of exhibits, artifacts, furniture and photos of the early history of the west side of Citrus County. Because of kinships and marriage between members of different communities, pottery was often moved around in Florida. The original inhabitants would have chosen this location primarily because it was next to a river that was close to the sea. This 61-acre archeological site has burial mounds, temple/platform mounds, a plaza area, and a substantial midden. It was only after Ripley P. Bullen surveyed and reported on the site, that destruction was halted. It has several trails with forest, marsh and water views. The earliest burials at the site are believed to be located in the conical mound and date back to about 250 BC. It goes to the Homosassa State Park page. Participants should be good swimmers (and not all the people we saw were.). This carving shows that the person represented possessed long hair in a plume over the left shoulder. This mound is 235 feet long and 12 feet high and is made of sand and shell. When the bulldozer was taking the shell and sand, a small layer of charcoal was exposed. Yankeetown is not much of a town, but the fascination here is with the location at the end of a road that dead-ends into the Gulf of Mexico north of Crystal River. Great read, so what's the latest updated info? If youre lucky, a concert that suits your taste could be coming up at Rock Crusher Canyon Pavilion and Amphitheater. By the time the Native Americans abandoned the Crystal River Site, around 1,400 AD, the midden had grown to be about 1,300 feet long, 100 feet wide and seven to ten feet deep, and was crescent shaped. The copper artifacts came from the Ohio River Valley through a trade network developed by the Hopewell Culture that existed at the time. WebThe Crystal River area is internationally acclaimed for scuba diving. Heres our report on kayaking the Chaz. REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING ABOUT THE POTTERY, ARCHAEOLOGY AND MORE: Thomas J. Pluckhahn, Rachel E. Thompson & Kassie Kemp (2017) Constructing community at civic-ceremonial centers: pottery-making practices at Crystal River and Roberts Island, Southeastern Archaeology, 36:2, 110-121, DOI: 10.1080/0734578X.2016.1252190 Link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/0734578X.2016.1252190. Also found in the Midden Area are various kinds of woodland animal bones, fish bones, turtle shells, broken pottery, broken hand tools and arrowheads. Always remember, it is illegal to collect artifacts on public land, so anything you find that resembles pottery shards, arrowheads, and the like will need to be put back where it was found. This would have provided easy access to food (fish and shellfish), cooling sea breezes and ease of transport (canoe). Ozello Boats happily takes you on an airboat ride back in time to Crystal Rivers ancient natural features, from mangrove forests to deep cave fissures. Admission is free. Also See:Things to Do in Clearwater BeachThings to Do in Clearwater, FLThings to Do in Punta Gorda, Florida, 10830 W Bentbow PathCrystal River, FL 34428(352) 601-4687. In the canal that leads to Three Sisters Spring, we saw more. Look closelyand you may be able to imagine how the design mimics the flat-topped temple mound features at the site. Heres more about Elvis in Yankeetown. ), maps that show areas that are off-limits to boats, Friends of Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge website. Looking for free things to do in Crystal River? Among the best fishing excursions is offered by Florida Fishing Adventures, where youre assured big catches fast! Crystal River Archaeological State Park: Native American Mounds and artifacts - See 357 traveler reviews, 222 candid photos, and great deals for Crystal River, FL, at Tripadvisor. The crude carving shows the person represented had long hair in a plume over the left shoulder. Set your expectations appropriately. (We were lucky enough to see a family of otters.) Look closely and you may be able to imagine how the design mimics the flat-topped temple mound features at the site. The park is located two miles (3km) northwest of the city of Crystal River, on Museum Point off U.S. 19/98. Also See:Spring Hill, FL Things to DoThings to Do in Anna Maria Island, Florida, 3400 N Museum PointCrystal River, FL 34428(352) 795-3817. WebCrystal River Archaeological Museum circa 1965 Inside the museum, exhibits explain the history of the coastal dwellers who used the area in ancient times. The highly rated Florida Fishing Adventures is run by locals who know the Crystal Rivers waters by heart. The tour includes stops for you to soak in the fantastic views. WebThe Crystal River site, a large mound complex in west-central Florida, is recognized for its various mounded architecture and expansive artifact assemblage, which includes many items non-local to Florida such as copper, mica, quartz, and more. Looking for the top things to do in Crystal River with kids? The museum features an array of exhibits, artifacts, furniture and photos of the early history of the west side of Citrus County. Named for a town in New Mexico where these artifacts were first found in association with bones of now extinct Ice Age animals, Clovis points have been found across most of eastern North America, including Arkansas. 3400 N Museum Point, Crystal River, FL 34428. It comes with a full-service area, by the way! Pottery is one of the most common and durable artifacts on archaeological sites throughout the world. Consequently, he documented far more information than many of his peers of the period. Recommended Hotel Nearby: Quality Inn Crystal River, 498 SE Kings Bay DriveCrystal River, FL 34429(352) 564-8687. Stone Points were utilized not only in hunting for game but also as weaponry in conflicts with other tribes. Certainly, the trolley was plenty busy on our visit. Books about Crystal Rivers prehistoric to modern history are also available here. Recommended Hotel Nearby: Rock Pointe Ranch, Co Road 490Homosassa, FL 34448(352) 795-3817. The City Hall was built in 1939 by WPA labor, the exterior is constructed of natural limestone quarried locally and interior ceilings are made from magnolia wood. Bone points were hand crafted through carving to form the desired shape. WebCrystal River Tour with Manatee Swim and Everglades Airboat Ride 77 Airboat Tours from $148.99 per adult Manatee Snorkel Tour from American Pro Diving Center 79 from $57.21 per adult Crystal River Manatee Swim or Boat Ride from Orlando 22 Bus Tours from $98.99 per adult Swim and Snorkel with Manatees in a Guided Crystal River Tour 32 from $74.11 Next image. Exhibits and a video detail the history of the Crystal River archaeological site, including how it was discovered, and friendly volunteers and rangers stand ready to answer any questions you may have about the exhibits or the park. Settlements in this geographical area lacked permanence of occupation, although the cultures here participated in the Hopewellian trading network to a limited extent and constructed numerous low sand burial mounds. It looks like a stage and even has a remnant of a ramp off the back, maybe the stage access for performers. Recommended Hotel Nearby: Holiday Inn Express Crystal River, 532 N Citrus AvenueCrystal River, FL 34428(352) 257-3870. In winter, tickets are $20 for adults 13 and older; $17.50 for seniors and $7.50 for children 6 to 13. For more than 1,900 years, this site on Crystal River in Citrus County, Florida, with access to the Gulf of Mexico, served as a ceremonial center. Oysters were a good source of plentiful food growing in the newly emerging estuary. From land, look for manatees at Crystal River State Archaeological Site, whose vantage atop a 28-foot native American mound overlooking the river is a worthy climb. Copyright Law. More mounds and artifacts illuminate ancient Florida cultures dating back to 500 B.C. Many of the people buried in this mound had copper tools and ornaments buried with them. Heres where you can learn if the springs are open. WebCrystal River, Florida ~ Mayan City, Glyphs, Stelae & Artifacts 13,150 views Aug 30, 2019 723 Dislike Share cf-apps7865 112K subscribers By request. WebPeople travelled from great distances to celebrate events, conduct cultural and practical trade, and bury their dead. It also tells us that trading with the northern portions of North America changed. Come early for the majestic sunrise and cool grassy fields by the beach. Sacred ceramics are found primarily in mounds, while secular ceramics are found primarily in middens and house sites. This unique venue has hosted phenomenal concerts across several music genres, along with local and regional performances. The author, Bonnie Gross, travels with her husband David Blasco, discovering off-the-beaten path places to hike, kayak, bike, swim and explore. Nomads, are people that travel from place to place in order to find enough food to feed their families. 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