The Warm Mineral Springs/Little Salt Spring Archaeological Society (WMSLSSAS) of Sarasota and Charlotte Counties hosted the
78th Annual Meeting of the Florida Anthropological Society (FAS) in Punta Gorda, Florida, May 8-10, 2026,
at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center on the Peace River.

A CONFERENCE REFLECTION BY THE HOSTS

As a Chapter of FAS, this was the second time the WMS/LSSAS hosted the state-wide annual meeting, the first being in 2014. While we got a late start, things turned out well with over 150 attendees, 34 paper presentations, and nine poster presentations. The main event was held Saturday, May 9, at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center. The Friday night reception was hosted by the Florida Anthropological Council (FAC) and held at the Four Points Sheraton Harborside Garden Tiki Hut, situated on the Peace River.

FAC holds their Stewards of Heritage Awards at the FAS reception every other year.

FAC board member April Watson (left) presents one of three Stewards of Heritage Award to the Division of Historical Resources (SCDHR) Manager Joshua Goodman and staff. Also present to accept the award were Sarasota County Archaeologist Clay Bush, SCDHR Assistant Manager Leah Lapszynski, and Department of Libraries and Historical Resources Manager Jennifer Perry. Those not present to receive the award were Archivist Elisabeth Jimenez, Meg Lepak, Nicholas Dietz, and Director of Libraries and Historical Resources, Renee DiPilato.

In 2026, one of the three awards was given jointly to Sarasota County Division of Historical Resources Manager Joshua Goodman, Assistant Manager Leah Lapszynski and History Center staff; Elisabeth Jimenez, Archivist (and our April 2026 speaker); Meg Lepak, Program and Outreach Specialist; Clay Bush, County Archaeologist; and Nicholas Dietz, Historic Preservation Specialist. The award highlighted their expansive programing, the public availability of County archives, and their historic preservation initiatives. For more information about their efforts, visit: https://sarasotacountyhistory.org

IMAGE: FAC board member April Watson (left) presents one of three Stewards of Heritage Award to the Division of Historical Resources (SCDHR) Manager Joshua Goodman and staff. Also present to accept the award were Sarasota County Archaeologist Clay Bush, SCDHR Assistant Manager Leah Lapszynski, and Department of Libraries and Historical Resources Manager Jennifer Perry. Those not present to receive the award were Archivist Elisabeth Jimenez, Meg Lepak, Nicholas Dietz, and Director of Libraries and Historical Resources, Renee DiPilato.

 

The Saturday conference, held from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, had informative papers and posters by anthropology students and professors, independent researchers, archaeologists working in cultural resource management, and avocational archaeologists. They were presented in three concurrent sessions, which were all extremely interesting and educational. WMS/LSSAS President Michelle Calhoun presented a podium paper titled, “A Review of Two New Sites in Indian Beach, Sarasota, Florida.” To see a color copy of the conference program, CLICK COVER IMAGE TO THE RIGHT.

STUDENT TRAVEL AWARDS

The WMS/LSSAS gave two student travel grants of $250 each to first-time student presenters who offered a podium paper or poster presentation. One of the two award winners, both from University of West Florida (UWF), was Isabella Santilli, with her poster presentation titled, “XRF Analysis of Puebla Blue on White Majolica from West Florida Presidios.” This was an interesting ceramic assemblage.

Ana Lee received the second award, with her poster, “The Long Shadow of History: A Historical Review of Trauma and Healing of Indigenous Peoples.”

KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND FAS AWARDS CEREMONY

The Saturday night banquet and FAS awards ceremony was held at Laishley’s Crab House, where notable South Florida Archaeologist Robert Carr gave an outstanding keynote presentation, “Digging in Circles,” on his twenty-five years of excavating threatened archaeological sites in Miami, including his discovery of thirteen circular foundations representing ancient towns of Native Tequesta people who once occupied what is currently downtown Miami at the mouth of the Miami River. His talk was enthralling and featured many personal stories about his experiences while investigating these sites, as Dr. Robert Carr giving his keynote speech to the banquet attendees. well as his involvement with the later litigation which occurred as a result of the discovery of this important site.


Dr. George M. Luer received a very well-deserved FAS Lifetime Achievement Award (LAA)! His contributions to Florida archaeology have been prodigious and extremely important to the field. He continues to tirelessly and meticulously conduct his research and to publish his findings, in addition to helping others publish theirs in his role as editor of The Florida Anthropologist (TFA). We would like to sincerely thank Dr. Luer for his efforts and wish him many more years of success.

IMAGE: Steve Koski (WMS/LSSAS Secretary), Eric Prendergast (FAS V-P), Dr. George Luer (LAA awardee), and Dorothy Block.

Notable artist Theodore Morris was the winner of the William C. Lazarus Memorial Award for his outstanding contributions to archaeology and anthropology in Florida. Ted graciously shared numerous prints and copies of some of his most famous works during the Saturday conference, for which we are most grateful.

IMAGE: Past FAS President and FAS Chapter Rep. (SWFAS) Theresa Schober (left) and Dr. George Luer (right) presented Theodore Morris (center) with the William C. Lazarus Memorial Award.

The Student Paper Prize went to Hui Xiao (USF), with her paper presentation titled, “Ceramic Traditions at the Pierce Mounds Complex, Northeastern Florida.” The Dorothy Moore Award of $500 went to University of Florida student Victoria Hayes (our May 2025 speaker) for her paper titled, “Shellworks, Solstices, and Seasonal Gatherings at the Center Point North Site.” Congratulations to both on their success and hard work!

 

The conference was wonderfully successful, but we could not have done it without the tremendous help of all our FAS board members, our financial sponsors (Archaeological Consultants, Inc., FAC, UWF, MSG, and The Archaeological Conservancy), the many individual donors (named in the FAS program), the student volunteers and those from WMS/LSSAS (specifically Karen Malesky, Kathy Gerace, and Betty Dailey-Nugent) who tabled, provided materials, and helped on-site, and multiple others who lent a hand to pull off the conference! April Holmes, Michele Cotty, Rachael Kangas, Bob Gross, Eric Prendergast (FAS V-P), and John McCarthy all went the extra mile, and their efforts were greatly appreciated. Steve Koski wins MVP for putting everything together and for keeping it all running smoothly, despite some serious A/V challenges which we experienced halfway through the afternoon. Another massive thanks is in order to all who made FAS 2026, Punta Gorda, a great success by donating their money or time, assisting with set-up and tear-down, and/or simply attending! You are all what makes FAS a great organization.