Crystal River Archaeological State Park
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| Crystal River Indian Mounds | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
 Temple mound
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| Location: | Crystal River, Florida |
| Coordinates: | 28°55′01″N 82°36′33″W / 28.91694°N 82.60917°W |
| Area: | 61 acres |
| Visitation: | 21,000 () |
| Governing body: | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
| Added to NRHP: | September 29, 1970 |
| Designated NHL: | June 21, 1990[1] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 70000178[2] |
Crystal River State Archaeological Site is a 61-acre (250,000 m2) Florida State Park located on the Crystal River and within the Crystal River Preserve State Park. The park is located two miles (3 km) northwest of the city of Crystal River, on Museum Point off US 19/98.
Under the title of Crystal River Indian Mounds, it is also a U.S. National Historic Landmark (designated as such on September 29, 1970).
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[edit] History
The park contains a six-mound complex, built by pre-Columbian mound builders, that is considered one of the longest continually occupied sites in Florida, believed to have been occupied for 1,600 years. Native Americans traveled long distances to the complex to bury their dead and to engage in trading activities. An estimated 7,500 people may have visited the complex annually when it was occupied. The complex contains burial mounds, temple/platform mounds, a plaza area, and a midden. A half-mile paved loop trail passes by each mound, with signs interpreting the mounds. A 55 step observation deck atop the park's largest mound, Temple Mound, provides a panoramic view of the area. The park contains coastal marsh and is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail.
[edit] Recreational activities
Activities include salt and fresh water fishing, picnicing, bird watching and a boat tour of Crystal River. Amenities include a small picnic area. The visitor center/museum features an open captioned video about the tribes that once lived in the area, and houses a collection of artifacts from the site, including arrowheads, pottery, jewelry, stone and bone tools.
[edit] Hours
The museum is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Florida state parks are open between 8 A.M. and sundown every day of the year (including holidays).
[edit] References
- ^ Crystal River Site at National Historic Landmarks Program
- ^ "National Register of Historical Places - Florida (FL), Citrus County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-02-25. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/FL/Citrus/state.html.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Crystal River Archaeological State Park |
- Citrus County listings at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
- Crystal River Archaeological State Park at Florida State Parks
- Crystal River State Archaeological Site at Absolutely Florida
- Crystal River State Archeological Site at The National Park Service - Links to the Past
- Crystal River State Archaeological Site pictures at Florida Center for Instructional Technology
- Famous Florida Sites: Mount Royal and Crystal River, edited with an introduction by Jerald T. Milanich (ISBN 0-8130-1694-0), Gainesville: University Press of Florida (1999).
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