Temple Mound at Emerson Point

Temple Mound at Emerson Point. . , A Living Record of the Past , Exploring the temple mound and shell middens at Emerson Point is a fascinating excursion into Manatee County's past , even before the time of recorded history! Once home to thriving communities of American Indians, the area includes the largest remaining ceremonial mound in the Tampa Bay region. Archaeologists call the native people "Amerindians." Because they lived before the time of European exploration in Florida, their real names and traditions are lost to us., Try to imagine what life here was like 1,000 years ago. The heavy growth of trees you now see would not have covered everything: The shell mounds would have gleamed white in the sun, topped and surrounded by thatched houses., Smoke from cooking fires drifted skyward as people worked at their daily tasks and children played. Canoes of returning hunting parties landed along the shore to unload the day's catch while the air filled with an irregular rhythm of conch shell hammers tapping open shellfish., The mound area also provides a glimpse into Florida's pioneer days. As you walk about, you'll find evidence of a succession of homesteaders who inhabited the site before the State of Florida and Manatee County purchased the land for conservation and natural resource protection in 1991., Each generation, from prehistoric to modern times modified the island environment to meet its particular needs., Take Only Photos … Leave Only Footprints , The temple mound complex is on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is managed by the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department and has been preserved for public enjoyment through partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish &.Wildlife Service, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Southwest Florida Water Management District, and many private, non-profit and educational sponsors from the community.