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CI 410 i NWS Fprm 10.98D-4 RMB Approval No 1024.0018 � I8-Esl United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number -I— rage I South Hole Midden SUMMARY The South Hole Midden Site (8.18828) is the best preserved habitation/midden site of its size within the proposed Indian River Narrows Cultural Resource District, and holds great potential for interpretation and research. All of the known site west of US At and a 50 foot preservation easement to the east of US Al currently is held by the public. The South Hole midden is a major habitation site, likely to have been a repeated use small village. Since very little testing has been undertaken, little is known of its chronology or the variety of material remains it may possess. However, it appears that the midden will prove to be a prime source of data relevant to the research questions outlined in Section F of the Multiple Property Listing cover forst (Mickel, 1992:152). ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING The South Hole midden is located on Orchid Island, a barrier island that makes up the easternmost portion of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge (ACR) physiographic province. It is separated from Florida's peninsular mainland by the Indian River Lagoon to the west, and is further bounded by St. Lucie Inlet to the south, Sebastian Inlet to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The ACR is a series of relict sandy beach ridges and bars which formed parallel to the Atlantic Ocean through wave, wind and current action as the sea level has risen and fallen over time. The narrowness and close proximity of the ACR, which comprises the mainland dune ridges and Orchid Island, to the Atlantic Ocean in Indian River Cuunt ' has !cd g_ oIJa! is to cumtt5e tli}t thus rtrea !s u nc of thfc geologically 1uc t I.zcVW, oce nw shores to :.c formed along the state's Atlantic coast (White 1970:85). The South l -Tole Midden site lies at the northern end of a secondary dmic, which slopes into the Indian R v er estuary at South Hole, just to the north of Jungle Trail where the barrier island narrows dramatically to a thin peninsula, the principal features of which are the primary dune and strand, The elevation of the site stands in marked contrast to the surrounding estuary, back dune flats, and interdune trough. The nearest freshwater is unknown, but like=y to be. a now defunct swale marsh in the grove flats southwest of the site (Dicke] 1992; 152). PERIODS OF SITE OCCUPATION The periods of ;site occupation can only be approximated because so little testing has been executed. However, Richards (199U) reports that, based on ceramics recovered from the midden on the cast side of US AIA, it is unlikely that it predates the Malabar Formative period.