I took advantage of a relatively cool morning last week to explore a couple nature areas that have long been on my list. I started at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.

I arrived a bit later than planned thanks to Sarasota’s ever worsening traffic issues. The sun had already chased away most of the low lying fog by the time I hit the trail. Excepting some wildlife, I had the place to myself which was relaxing and yet, for reasons that I couldn’t explain, also a bit haunting.

I later learned that the land had been part of a large, planned housing development in the early 80s. That plan was scuttled after earth moving equipment uncovered ancient artifacts and human remains. Brief archaeological surveys of the land revealed it to be the site of a large Manasota village.

Though never fully excavated, thankfully someone realized the site was worth saving. It contains evidence of human occupation stretching back 10,000 years but most importantly, it is a rare inland village (all other major village sites were located along the coastlines of Florida). Though the creek looks small now, back then it was a major transportation route from the Gulf, some 20 miles west.

Now the 160 acres are protected. According to state records, with the exception of a mere handful, hundreds of archaeological sites have been “lost” (aka bulldozed and destroyed) in Sarasota county.

On my way to my next destination, I made a quick stop at the entrance to another important archaeological site. Little Salt Spring is a small, 250′ deep, anoxic cenote (sinkhole) which has preserved human and animal remains as well as other typically perishable detritus. The majority of the artifacts recovered from the depths date back 7,000 to 12,000 years.

The 112 acre site was gifted to the University of Miami in 1982 for ongoing research and protection. Beyond the insights that can be gleaned from this treasure trove of organic matter there is the question of how. How did all these people (at least 44 individuals thus far) and animals wind up in this sinkhole?