A Prehistoric Tourist Destination in Florida

Historical reenactor, historian, and amateur paleontologist Chase Pipes is an avid collector and dealer of historical artifacts and the co-owner and operator of the Smoky Mountain Relic Room in Tennessee. Chase Pipes also hosts a YouTube channel, Chasing History, on which he documents the everyday work of uncovering and preserving fossils and artifacts.

The United States is replete with historical artifacts of great value, but some of the less glamorous specimens can teach us the most about historic and prehistoric times. On Roberts Island, about 50 miles north of Tampa Bay, Florida, archeologists have found the remains of ancient feasts that took place for hundreds of years, even as the area experienced social and environmental challenges.

Oyster shell mounds and other objects are evidence of large feasts that attracted thousands of visitors from across the Southeast. This is a strong indicator of the way many prehistoric cultures in the area valued community and communal events. These feasts appear to have been simple but were important to the surrounding inhabitants.