National Register of Historic Places

Turner River Site

Ochopee, Collier County, Florida
Listed
December 14, 1978
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
78000263

About this property

The Turner River Site (8CR8) is an archaeological site in the Ten Thousand Islands region of Everglades National Park, in Florida. It is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Turner River Site is a large shell works site .5 miles (0.80 km) from the mouth of the Turner River, near Chokoloskee Island. The site covers 30 acres (12 ha) and is .25 miles (0.40 km) long. It has at least 30 closely spaced mounds. The site was the first in the Ten Thousand Islands area to be excavated by professional archaeologists. The Turner River Site came to the attention of archaeologists in 1900. Aleš Hrdlička visited the site in 1918. He declared it to be "important to science", and urged that it be made a "national reservation." William H. Sears conducted the first excavation by a professional archaeologist in 1955. He noted structural features similar to those found at Key Marco and Chokoloskee Island, and concluded that the region was an "important prehistoric population center." Sears found muck with midden materials between the mounds and on the lower slopes of the mounds, but the bulk of the mounds were clean shell deposits, almost entirely made up of small oyster shells, which had been placed on submerged mud flats. Based on dating of potsherds found at the site, Sears concluded that the residents of the site had lived on the edge of the river, moving the village towards the water as the mounds built up behind them. All of the potsherds collected at the site were assigned to the Glades I and II periods, placing occupation of the site in the period from about 200 or 100 BCE to 800 or 900 CE. The Turner River Site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Location

Ochopee, Collier County, Florida

Categories

PREHISTORIC
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Questions about this property

When was Turner River Site listed on the National Register?

Turner River Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Turner River Site?

Turner River Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Turner River Site?

The period of significance for Turner River Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Turner River Site?

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