02/04/2015
Conference presented by Main Street Monticello Florida
October 1, 2, 3, 2015 – Monticello Opera House
Presentations will tell the story of Florida's people before the Spanish came. Archaeologists, paleontologists, anthropologists, other scholars, many who worked on digs in this county, will explain what the pre-Clovis discoveries in this area mean to scholars throughout the Western Hemisphere and people who live close to the sites.
Dr. Mike Waters of the Center for the First Americans at Texas A & M University will explain the controversy among scholars created by discoveries made in the Aucilla Basin. He will tell of past local discoveries such as the mammoth tusk scholars contend is the earliest proven large animal kill in North America, and two artifacts certified to be more than 14,000 years old. Michael Collins, Lee Newsome, S. David Webb and others of equal stature will speak.
Speakers agree to design their remarks to make them understandable and interesting to laymen. Papers will be edited for publication post-conference and presentations will be recorded on CD – slide presentations will be posted on the First Floridians web site. We will present an extensive display of artifacts, with informational docents, open to viewing by the public to help explain the story of the First Floridians: First Americans.
This project will give scholars new information and lay attendees an understanding of the importance of protecting the archaeological, anthropological and early historic sites in our county.
Our target audience is, residents and students of Monticello, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Leon & surrounding counties and scholars throughout North America. We will use newspapers and other print media, radio, television, Internet Media releases, posting on related web sites and social media to market this conference.
Michael Waters, Jim Dunbar, Lee Newsom, are scholars confirmed. Dennis Stanford of the Smithsonian and others have been invited. David Ward, Ed. Green, and Jack Carswell will conduct educational field trips to several archaeological sites.
Presentations and artifacts will be filmed and edited for CD. One copy will be provided free to Florida Libraries who request it. Copies of slide presentations will be posted on www.firstfloridiansconference.com and available to the public.
Attendance will be taken through site registration. Evaluations will be distributed to attendees and collected after each presentation and another will be e-mailed and collected after the conference.
