- Fig Springs mission site
The Fig Springs mission site is an archaeological site in
Ichetucknee Springs State Park , inColumbia County, Florida . It has been identified as the site of a Spanish mission from the first half of the 17th century.The Fig Springs site is adjacent to a short tributary connecting Fig Springs to the
Ichetucknee River , about one mile downstream from the head springs of the Ichetucknee. An apparentmidden was discovered in the tributary in 1949, and a survey with limitedexcavation s in 1986 found evidence of a mission on the adjacent land, including a church building, missionary residence ("convent o"), cemetery,plaza and native village. More extensive excavations were carried out in 1988-1989.Analysis of
sherd s found at the site indicated that the mission was occupied during the first half of the 17th century. The archaeologists identified the site as likely to be that of San Martín de Timucua, which is known to have been founded in 1608, and which does not appear in Spanish records after the Timucua rebellion of 1656. An earlier identification of the site as Santa Catalina de Afuerica, which is known to have existed in the area between 1675 and 1685, is less likely based on the evidence of the sherds.The mission appears to have been established at one of the five major towns that existed at the beginning of the 17th century in the Province of
Timucua proper (also called "Utina" or "Northern Utina"), which included north Florida north of theSanta Fe River from theSt. Johns River in the east to theAucilla River in the west.The mission church was an open-air structure, with a
plank wall on the east end, and the other sides left open. Posts, about 10 cm square, supported a roof over an area about 10.5 m north-south and 8 m east-west. The floor had been cleared down to bare earth, and a clean sand subfloor supported a packed clay floor, which rose in steps from west to east. The structure apparently burned, and the remains were covered by a layer of clean sand. A cemetery on the north side of the church included several rows of burials. Unlike several other Spanish missions in Florida, no burials were found in the floor of the church.References
*Weisman, Brent R. 1993. "Archaeology of Fig Springs Mission, Ichetucknee Springs State Park", in Bonnie G. McEwan. ed. "The Spanish Missions of La Florida". University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-1232-5
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