STONE ARTIFACTS OF TEXAS INDIANS
N E W P O I N T- 2
a cq u i s i t i o n
Conservancy Obtains Pine Island Canal
MERALD CLARK, FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
A UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF PRE-COLUMBIAN ENGINEERING IN FLORIDA IS PROTECTED.
Canals served as highways for the Calusa and their neighbors, connecting communities and providing protected pathways for trade, tribute, and information.
O
ver the last decade, there has been a growing interest among archaeologists in the study of ancient technology and engineering. While the habitation areas, middens, and items of material culture remain important subjects for study, many researchers have determined that a site cannot be fully understood without examining the infrastructure that supported it. The Pine Island Canal is a case in point. The canal is one of the most remarkable extant examples of Pre-Columbian ingenuity. Con-
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structed by the Calusa Indians of Florida perhaps as early as 2,000 years ago, the 2.5-mile canal crossed the north end of Pine Island in Lee County, facilitating travel between the Calusa’s Gulf Coast towns and those to the east in Florida’s interior. The waterway, ranging from 18 to 23 feet wide, was large enough to accommodate most Calusa canoes. “The Pine Island Canal was not a simple or casually-dug ditch,” said George Luer of the University of Florida. “Careful planning went into its placement on the landscape and
intensive effort went into its construction and maintenance.” The Calusa had to deal with matters of topography, tides, ground water, and varying types of soils. For example, if the canal had been filled by tides, the effects of erosion and siltation would have made it extremely difficult to maintain. The canal was engineered to keep the water level stable and at a depth of about 3.5 feet throughout its length. This was challenging, given that Pine Island’s peak elevation is 13 feet above sea level. Tides, evaporation, summer • 2003
