LARGEST - Indian artifact discovered in Florida - Deland, Florida, USA
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member BoomersOTR
N 28° 58.474 W 081° 21.436
17R E 465193 N 3205220
A owl totem located in the Hontoon Island State Park near Deland, Florida.
Waymark Code: WM13E67
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 11/21/2020
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member lumbricus
Views: 7

The “Hontoon Owl Totem” as it is locally known was discovered in 1955 buried in muck on Hontoon Island in the St. Johns River. It is the largest pre-Columbian wood carving found in Florida, and the only totem of its kind in the eastern United States.

An engraved plaque at the site reads as follows:

“The Owl Clan

The Timucuan Indians that once lived along the St. Johns River often used a carved object as a symbol to identify the “Clan” that occupied a particular site.

About 600 years ago the Indians who lived here cut a large pine tree and using a shell axe and a shark-tooth knife fashioned this totem which was erected near the river so that all who passed would know this was the village of the “Owl Clan”.

This is a replica of the original totem discovered in 1955 while excavating the marina across the river. The original is on display at the Florida State Museum in Gainesville. To date this is the largest Indian artifact discovered in Florida. “

(visit link)
Type of documentation of superlative status: Metal plaque at base of the owl totem

Location of coordinates: At the base of the owl totem

Web Site: [Web Link]

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hart612 visited LARGEST - Indian artifact discovered in Florida - Deland, Florida, USA 06/10/2021 hart612 visited it