Newspaper - Rabbit Hole

I haven’t written an article this week, but I’ve been researching and want to share some fascinating discoveries. I love research, and it has led to incredible revelations about Florida history. As I’ve mentioned before, Florida’s history is unique, to say the least. I’ve visited Europe and seen castles nearly 1,000 years old—structures most American minds struggle to comprehend because our own history is so short. I’ve marveled at Roman aqueducts, sat in the “seats” of an arena in Caesarea by the Mediterranean Sea, and explored ancient Egyptian artifacts and temples. We often assume all the “old stuff” is in the Old World, but the truth is, many ancient things exist right here in the New World. The term “New World” only reflects the perspective of 13th- and 14th-century explorers who were unaware of the Americas. Don’t let it fool you into thinking this land was empty or devoid of culture and people.

The continental United States is vast, ranging from deserts and snow-capped mountains to Florida’s tropical landscapes. The ancient peoples here were just as diverse. I don’t mean to suggest they were on par with the Egyptians or Babylonians, but some groups, like those similar to the Mayans in the Yucatan, built mounds resembling early pyramids and had complex social and political societies. Others varied widely: some were violent, engaging in warfare and cannibalism, while others, like the Ais in Florida, were gentle hunter-gatherers living along the St. Johns River and its tributaries. Florida’s Indigenous groups, often overshadowed by the Seminole, included the Ais, Timucua, Tequesta, Calusa, and others. Their gentle nature sometimes made them vulnerable to invasion. My recent research has focused on the Ais tribe, known for their small, palmetto-thatched homes along waterways, particularly in Brevard County.

While researching Florida’s history, I sought the oldest map or reference to the state. My searches often start broad, but I uncover smaller, fascinating details along the way. Not all of these make it into my writing, but they inspire stories or future articles. I’m the queen of rabbit holes, often straying far from my original question to find something even more intriguing. One such discovery was the Peter Martyr map from 1511. While exploring this map, I stumbled across Jonathan Dickinson. I had heard of him before and even camped at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, but I hadn’t paid much attention to his writings until this deep dive. In 1696, Dickinson, his family, and crew washed ashore near Port St. Lucie after a shipwreck and endured a grueling journey up the coast to St. Augustine. His journal, published in 1699, details encounters with several Indigenous groups, including the Ais near Cape Canaveral. Within two decades, the Ais faced devastating struggles and were nearly wiped out. Survivors of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet mentioned seeing a few Ais members, but by the mid-1700s, the tribe vanished from documents and journals. It’s fascinating to see how intertwined people’s lives were in this “unknown” world.

Now, back to the map!