The Josslyn Island Site is an archaeological site composed of a shell mound in Lee County, Florida, United States. In mid-1983, the shell mound was cleared and mapped by archaeologists from the Southwest Florida Archaeological Society, operating with funds donated by Don Randell, the owner. It was revealed to cover an area of approximately , and some parts of the mound reached a height of more than . Most of the shells in the mound are those of whelks and

conch Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North Am ...

s; noticeably absent are oyster and clam shells. Although the dates of the shells are unknown, they are believed to have been deposited by

Calusa The Calusa ( ) were a Native American people of Florida's southwest coast. Calusa society developed from that of archaic peoples of the Everglades region. Previous indigenous cultures had lived in the area for thousands of years. At the time of ...

peoples during or soon before European contact.Marquard, William H. "Josslyn Island Shell Mound". I
The Complete Lamar Briefs
, Mark Williams, ed., 2000, 12. Accessed 2010-10-06. The mound has only rarely been visited since the beginning of the twentieth century; except for a few non-archaeologists who attempted to excavate the site, the 1983 survey was the first known human visit since the site was recorded in 1896. Seeing the high state of preservation in which the Josslyn Island Shell Mound exists, researchers have proposed that it may hold significant stores of knowledge about its creators. In recognition of its archaeological value, the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is one of eight Lee County archaeological sites to be included on the Register.

References

External links

Lee County listings
a
Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
Archaeological sites in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Lee County, Florida Shell middens in Florida Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Pine Island (Lee County, Florida) {{LeeCountyFL-NRHP-stub