THE 75th ANNUAL MEETING & CONFERENCE St. Augustine, Florida – May 12-14, 2023
LOOKING FORWARD from the Ancient City
Between May 12 to 14, the St. Augustine Archaeological Association (SAAA) was proud to host the 75th Annual Meeting of the Florida Anthropological Society in St. Augustine. The conference was well attended by about 250 professionals, students, and archaeology enthusiasts from across the state.
Attendees were welcomed at a Friday evening reception at the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum with opening remarks by SAAA president Andrea White and Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program director Chuck Meide. Saturday marked a full day of paper and poster presentations at Flagler College about archaeological projects and initiatives from across the state. The evening banquet featured a meal of sugar-glazed ham, citrus chicken, and strawberry compote sponge cake inspired by a 1933 menu from the Ponce de Leon Hotel. After feasting, Dr. Lori Lee
offered words of wisdom in her keynote presentation about decolonizing the past and reframing our sense of history.
On Sunday, tours featuring the Florida National Guard, Fish Island, and “Archaeology on the Trolley” were a big hit! This year’s FAS meeting was made possible by the dedicated planning and organizing of conference chairs (seen at left; Jon Simon Suarez, Katherine Sims, Pat Balanzategui, Chris Newman, Emily Jane Murray), and alongside committee members Andrea White, Grace Paaso, and Suzanne Dixon. This massive undertaking also would not have been possible without the numerous SAAA volunteers who helped moderate presentation rooms, organize tour groups, set up event spaces, hand out registration information, and much more.
SAAA would like to thank Flagler College, the Florida Public Archaeology Network, and the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum for hosting conference venues and events. Additional financial support from the City of St. Augustine, the Florida Archaeological Council, ACI, SEARCH, Stantec, and PaleoWest ensured that conference participants were well caffeinated and fed throughout Saturday proceedings.
Thanks to all for a great FAS conference, and we look forward to meeting everyone again next year!
By Katherine Sims
On Saturday evening, attendees enjoyed a cocktail hour and buffet, the FAS Awards Ceremony and Keynote Presentation, at the Ponce de Leon Hotel.
Arthur r. Lee FAS Chapter Award
The Panhandle Archaeological Society at Tallahassee (PAST) was presented the 2023 Arthur r. Lee Chapter Award at the 75th FAS Annual Meeting in St. Augustine. FAS president Jason Wenzel
presented a plaque to PAST members. The plaque is inscribed: “For Outstanding Public Outreach and Education, May 13, 2023.”
PAST is based in the eastern Florida panhandle, centered in Tallahassee. PAST has conducted many investigations in Leon County on private and public lands, which are recorded in the Florida
Master Site File. Since PAST is located in Florida’s capital, it has advocated for statewide cultural preservation. In 2018, the chapter initiated a student essay contest in honor of retired state archaeologist Louis Tesar. PAST has conducted testing and archival research at Goodwood Museum and Gardens, in Tallahassee. PAST members Fred Gaske, Lonnie Mann, Marie and Guy Prentice, Mary Glowacki, and others have been involved in activities at Goodwood. The organization helped university of Michigan graduate student Martin Menz to obtain a small state matching grant. The grant assisted work at Letchworth Mounds, east of Tallahassee.
PAST has held hybrid and in person meetings. Some recent speakers include Austin Bell, Jeff Mitchem, and Melissa price. PAST members successfully influenced the Leon County Commission to add an archaeologist to the Quality Growth Committee. FAS is honored to recognize this outstanding chapter!
FAS ACHIEVEMENT HONOR
Joanne Talley was recognized at the Annual Meeting Banquet in St. Augustine for her many years of service to Florida Anthropological Society. This year, Joanne completes 18 years as FAS treasurer, the longest serving treasurer in FAS history. Joanne has provided expertise and continuity that has helped FAS run smoothly all those years.
Joanne is a Florida native, born and raised in Stuart. She has volunteered for many archaeological projects in Southeast Florida. As a member of the Southeast Florida Archaeological Society (SEFAS), Joanne has been active in Chapter initiatives. we all know Joanne as a cheerful yet serious and competent presence. her steady demeanor and good advice have benefitted us all.
It is a distinct honor to recognize Joanne for her service to FAS.
FAS DOROTHY MOORE STUDENT GRANT
The Student Grant Committee selected Jaime Rogers as the 2023 FAS Dorothy Moore Student Grant winner.
Rogers is a Ph.d. candidate at the University of South Florida. The grant award of $1000 will pay for travel to Germany to conduct Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) on oysters from Tampa Bay. Results will contribute to his dissertation research on Indigenous oyster management in lower Tampa Bay using archaeological, ecological, and geochemical methods.