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FLORIDA PLUMMETS
By John
Baugh, Central Florida
I have long been fascinated by the artistry of the ancient people who inhabited the state
I live in, Florida. One of their most interesting artifacts is the plummet. These are found mostly on the southwest coast.
Excavations at the Key Marco Site yielded thirty-nine plummets of shell and forty-three made from stone. Many have been found
in shell middens, but there have also been many isolated finds in fields, shoreline beaches and village sites. When compared
with other artifacts found in Florida, plummets are amongst the most rare. While shell is the most common material, they have
been found made from such materials as shale, hematite, quartz crystal, copper and even pottery. There is a common form to
them, a sort of cigar shaped form that has either a suspension hole or groove at the top. They seem to be very well made and
many have polished finishes. Most shell plummets are made from the inner columella of the Queen Conch, Lighting Whelk or Horse
Conch shells, which were quite abundant in ancient times. It is still unknown what they were used for with some saying they
were fishing weights or bola weights. But an observation by an early English explorer viewing the Timucua Indians seems to
suggest that their use was as a pendant. This would make sense since they are so well made. They have been found in archaeological
association on Archaic Sites, so the form was obviously significant for a long period of time. Whatever their use, they are
very interesting objects and an important part of the life of Florida's prehistoric inhabitants.
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