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C> • 40 Zu IBM) Form iQ 804 A - } United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number ,Z Page . - OMa nppmvei No- 1024-0010 South Hole Midden The date of native abandonment also is difficult to specify. However, numerous historically recorded events eventually may assist in this placement. Evidence may include artifacts and documents related to the many shipwrecks that littered this stretch of the Atlantic coast, which began with the vessel carrying Pedro de Bustincury in 1546 and continued through the Spanish treasure fleet disaster of 1715 (Lyon 1999). It is known, for instance, that the survivors and the salvors of the 1715 fleet treated with the native population for provisions. The site of their base camp, the Higgs site, is located on the primary dune between South Hole and the current Sebastian inlet (Higgs 1942). PHYSICAI.L DESCRIPTION The South Hole Site is a large shell midden found on all sides of the intersection of US AIA and the Jungle Trail within the west 2 of the southwest 114, and the southwest 1/4 of the northwest 114 of section 3 in T 31 S, R 39 E (Map 1, 2), It extends from the estuary edge north and west of Jungle Trail, cast across US AIA, and ends within the trough between the primary and secondary dunes west of Scaview Drive within the currently platted Seaview Development. The overall dimensions of the site are about 245 meters east to west, and about 300 meters north to south (Dicke] 1992:151). The site is perched on an elevated secondary dune, and it stands in marked contrast to the surrounding estuary, back dune flats, and interdime trough. Its elevation ranges from about 10 feet above MSL on the densest part of the midden ezt of US Al A to 5 feet above MSL south of Jungle Trail. The elevation decreases further to the north as it approaches South Hole, and to the south and west as it levels into the citrus groves. The vegetation covering the site to the south of the Jungle Trail and on both sides of US AIA is a mature coastal hammock. This includes cabbage palm (Sabal palnretio), saw palmetto (Serelloa repens), red bay (Persea horbrmi:r", live, oak (Q11errus Virainiarrri), gumbo 1. mbii a ] 11i,1'r' 7 y7p gtil{ °i -J, !ns# stau„lut fig {;amicus aures), and papaya, wild coffee, and hog plum. To the north of Jungle Trail in the low South Hole estuary margin vegetation may be secondary since clearing and cutting scars were recorded in 1992. Cultural deposits were evidenced by large areas and exposures of oyster shell, small bar Venus clans, Mercenaria Quahog, some Busvcon including one with a square hole cut on a whorl, and various unidentified, unmodified cofuinnella. Despite aburidwit middeii, no ceramics could be tbund on su'14CC, in disturbed or vandalized exposures, or in at least 10 small shovel tests placed west or US A 1 A. f-lowever. Pichard% (1990) repo -os that ceramics from tests east of US Al A indicate that it is very unlikely to predate Malabar Normative periods (Dicke! 1992:151). The sandy matrix of the midden is very black organic stained, with an abrupt transition to coarse, tan sand with sl ell !rash st sf Eitc subsoil. Middcit deposits iwjig d "Wiii 50 cm to .it} um dcup in icsls placed %vest of USS AIA, Dickel (1992) points out that these tests were intended to investigate the margins of the midden, not the densest portions, and that cultural horizons may occur below apparent subsoil that was deposited, for example, by storm