Water from Stone - (Florida Museum of Natural History: Ripley P. Bullen) by Jason O'Donoughue (Paperback)

About the Book

This book investigates the importance of natural springs to ancient Floridians, showing how springs have served as gathering places for people over thousands of years to the present day.

Book Synopsis

Southern Anthropological Society James Mooney Award

An archaeological study of Florida's springs that shows the importance of springs to Florida's people over thousands of years

Throughout their history, Florida's springs have been gathering places for far-flung peoples. In Water from Stone, Jason O'Donoughue discusses the genesis of springs and their role as sites of habitation, burials, ritualized feasting, and monument building for Florida's earliest peoples.

O'Donoughue moves beyond a focus on the ecological roles of springs and the popular image of springs as timeless and pristine--approaches taken by many archaeologists and conservationists. Instead, he foregrounds the social and historical importance of springs and their ongoing use as gathering places that draw people for ritual purposes even today. This archaeological viewpoint creates a bridge between past and present, encouraging conservation efforts that focus on the intrinsic value of springs as places of personal experience and social interaction with deep historical significance. To save the springs, O'Donoughue argues, we must recognize the relevance of the past to the problems Florida's artesian springs face today.

Review Quotes

"[Connects] archaeological history to modern conservation of Florida's springs, effectively demonstrating the relevance of archaeological inquiry. Whether you are an archaeologist working in the American Southeast, interested in historical ecology or entanglement theory, or simply looking for a good read, Water from Stone's engaging prose and thoughtful arguments will prove to be a valuable resource."--Journal of Anthropological Research

"O'Donoughue balances many levels of analyses: geological, hydrological, archaeological, historical and contemporary parameters are woven together. . . . O'Donoughue has opened an interesting and new avenue for other archaeological studies."--Antiquity

About the Author

Jason O'Donoughue is an archaeologist at the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research in Tallahassee. He is coeditor of The Archaeology of Events: Cultural Change and Continuity in the Pre-Columbian Southeast.