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 Prehistoric Man Lived Here / Spring Was Once A Cave Posted by:  rogueblack
N 27° 03.515 W 082° 15.670
17R E 374932 N 2993550
The warm mineral springs have a prehistoric story.
Waymark Code: WM41NZ
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 06/24/2008
Views: 63
This is a two-faced marker with unique information on both sides.
The south side of the marker reads:
PREHISTORIC MAN LIVED HERE
More than 10,000 years ago prehistoric man, sabre-tooth cats, giant sloths, mammoths and mastodons lived in this area of Florida which eons later became a part of Sarasota County. Warm Mineral Springs, here, and Little Salt Spring, which is approximately three miles away, have preserved scientifically accepted evidence of this. Carbon dating of human and animal skeletal remains, as well as wooden artifacts found in these springs since 1958 by underwater archaeologists and other divers has determined their antiquity. These explorations and scentific studies have resulted in much recognition being given to these springs. (OVER)
The north side of the marker reads:
SPRING WAS ONCE A CAVE
Lieut. Col. William Royal, underwater explorer and author, while diving in Warm Mineral Springs in 1958 discovered stalactites stalagmites well below the water line which provided evidence this spring was a dry cave over a very long period of years, possibly during the last ice age. Other dives resulted in the finding of ancient human skulls, bones and animal remains which gave indications of the presence of human and animal life in this part of Florida long before written history. In 1977, the national significance of Warm Mineral Springs was recognized when it was placed on the National Register of Historical Places.
Marker Number: 1977
Date: 1977
County: Sarasota
Marker Type: Plaque
Sponsored or placed by: Sarasota County Historical Commission
Website: [Web Link]
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