A Point in Prehistory

A Point in Prehistory. . , On January 23, 1995, a vestige of Florida's ancient past emerged from the soil at Wakulla Springs State Park. During an archaeological investigation prior to a construction project, state archaeologist Calvin Jones uncovered a rare Paleolndian knife blade. This unusual blade, called a Simpson preform, was made of chert, a flint-like substance found in Florida. It was probably crafted by people living near the spring 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. They may have used such blades for skinning mastodon and bison. What is unique about this tool is its size; rarely are such implements found, and very seldom are they intact. Was it lost? Was it stored for later use? Or was someone forced to drop it in a hurry? We will never know., One thing we know for certain is that human communities flourished at Wakulla Springs for thousands of years. People built a village near the water source and hunted large animals nearby. They buried their dead with ceremony. Other state parks with major springs, such as lchetucknee Springs, Rainbow Springs, De Leon Springs, and Blue Spring, may also yield valuable information about Florida's first people., During his long career with the State of Florida, Calvin Jones (1938-1998) made some of the most important discoveries of human habitation in Florida. He was known as the "people's archaeologist" because of his enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge and love of the past.