Hidden Histories A Historical Archaeology Approach to the The Tabby House Ruins at Desoto National Memorial Park
Date of Award
2005
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Baram, Uzi
Keywords
Manatee River, Bradenton, FL, Tabby, Bunce, Rancho, Angola, Angulo, DeSoto, National Park, Archaeology, History
Area of Concentration
Anthropology
Abstract
This historical archaeological study examines the Tabby House Ruins at De Soto National Memorial in Bradenton, Florida. By employing the notion of ambiguity to link the documentary and archaeological records it attempts to identify the occupation period of the site and illuminate the dynamic history of the Manatee River. This thesis addresses several issues of import to historical archaeologists including the nature and creation of public memory and the notion of the contested nature of the past. Both local histories and National Park Service interpretative signs have contributed to the public memory of the Tabby House Ruins. The Anglo-American settlers did not document the prior existence of Native American or African American communities on the landscape. These misrepresentations still endure; they are perpetuated because our preconceptions of the past influence the questions that we ask and the histories we conceive of as possible. There is strong evidence for site occupation as early as 1817. This thesis demonstrates the need for further archaeological research and for changing the nature of interpretation at the Tabby House Ruins. Presenting the ruins as the site of a dynamic history would be a first step towards creating a new, more inclusive, public memory.
Recommended Citation
Svekis, Sherry Robinson, "Hidden Histories A Historical Archaeology Approach to the The Tabby House Ruins at Desoto National Memorial Park" (2005). Theses & ETDs. 3587.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/3587
Rights
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