When I started this effort to research the Calusa, Aztecs, and Conquistadors, I had never read anything about archaeology, nor had I visited any historical sites in Florida. I soon learned about scientists such as Frank Hamilton Cushing and Bill Marquardt who contributed a great deal to what we know about the Calusa.
I never expected to read about an archaeologist with a reputation for possibly destroying more than he uncovered. That man was Clarence Bloomfield Moore (1852-1936). He was well-known and often highly regarded for his many archeological expeditions throughout the south, and most notably in Louisiana and Florida.
Moore often took photos of his dig sites and the various relics he and his crew found and donated many objects to museums; some of his finds now rest in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.
The image above may contain some hints about Moore’s negative reputation. I am not a scientist and know nothing about archaeological procedures, but to my eyes, it looks like Moore’s crew is doing extensive damage to the ground at this site. I became interested in Moore after reading that many scientists criticized him for doing sloppy, destructive work.
A little digging found possible proof of this from Moore himself. In an article titled “The Old Okahumpka SITE: Late Prehistoric Iconography and Mississippian Influence in Peninsular Florida”, Jeffrey M. Mitchem writes that Moore said that a mound he and his crew examined “was totally demolished by his crew.” Mitchem also added that, “When the site was recorded in the Florida Site File by John M. Goggin in 1951, only a general vicinity location could be plotted.”
I found several articles with similar complaints about Moore’s methods.
I should add that the Okahumpka site is in Lake County. This is in north-central Florida, well north of the Calusa Capital at Mound Key on the southwest coast, but there is some evidence that Moore investigated several sites in the Tampa area that may have been linked to the Calusa.
The following are images of some of Moore’s extensive finds:
So was Moore an important scientist or a destructive, sloppy digger? Maybe he was both. Regardless, I enjoyed reading about him and learning a bit more about archeology. I do hope he didn’t do more harm than good. What do you think?
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