Phase II NRHP Archaeological Evaluation of 8 Sites (8BY00117/118, 8BY00153, 8BY00154, 8BY00176, 8BY00187, 8BY02721, 8BY02724 and 8BY02378), Tyndall Air Force Base, Bay County, Florida

Abstract

From January 9 to February 6, 2023, and April 24 to May 8, WSP Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. (WSP) (formerly Wood Environment & Infrastructure [Wood]) completed Phase II NRHP Evaluation of eight archaeological sites at Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB) in Bay County, Florida. As a result of these evaluations, five of the sites (8BY00117/118, 8BY00154, 8BY00187, 8BY02378 and 8BY02724) are recommended eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). These sites all yielded high artifact densities, retained features and/or intact subsurface deposits and have the potential to contain significant information concerning prehistoric cultural periods on Tyndall AFB and in the panhandle of Florida. Site 8BY00117/118 represented a multi-component prehistoric occupation including a shell midden dating from the Middle Woodland through Mississippian periods and an early to mid-twentieth century historic occupation. Although erosion has heavily impacted this site, two discrete areas containing intact prehistoric deposits were still present; evidence suggests horizontal stratification of the deposits with one dating to the Late Woodland Deptford period and the other dating to the Mississippian Fort Walton period. Site 8BY00154 is also a multicomponent site with a prehistoric component dating primarily to the Early Woodland and Late Woodland periods, with evidence for a possible Mississippian period and a historic artifact scatter attributed to a historic military housing plan. While the historic component, considered non-contributing, did disturb the prehistoric deposits, an area of intact subsurface deposits including shell midden and significant artifact concentration areas was identified in the western portion of the site. Site 8BY00187 was a prehistoric occupation with three discrete midden deposits: two attributed to the Early Woodland period and one attributed to the Late Woodland to Mississippian period. Pit features were identified beneath the shell midden deposits, including one possible smudge pit and a high potential for additional features to be present. While site 8BY02724 yielded only a low to moderate density of Late Woodland to Mississippian period artifacts, it is recommended as eligible givens its likely association with occupation of adjacent site 8BY00137. Finally, site 8BY02378 is a large multicomponent site containing multiple areas of shell midden deposits and intact features and subsurface deposits predominantly date to the Late Woodland through the protohistoric (Mission) period. Evidence suggests horizontal stratification of the different components across the site, so that concentration areas attributed to one or more of the occupation periods were noted. Disturbance of the site is noted from a historic military housing complex and dormitories that were once present on the site as well as modern activity such as facilities attributed to transformation of the area into a park and clean-up activities following Hurricane Michael in 2018. However, significant intact deposits remain, that have been relatively unaltered during the historic and modern activities were identified. The remaining three sites (8BY00153, 8BY00176 and 8BY02721) are all recommended as not eligible for listing on the NRHP. Site 8BY00153 was an Early Woodland through Mississippian period and an early twentieth century homestead. This site also contained a military housing complex, the construction and eventually razing of dwelling caused heavy disturbance to the site deposits. Site 8BY00176 was a prehistoric shell midden site dating to the Early Woodland through Mississippian period. Excavations indicate that, while a small area containing artifacts including numerous shell tools, and shell midden were present, the site has been heavily disturbed by erosion and redeposition of the cultural deposits given the site’s location directly adjacent to St. Andrew Bay. These activities have essentially intermixed the materials and there is little potential for intact deposits or features associated with the prehistoric occupations to be present. Sites 8BY02721 is a prehistoric artifact scatter sites which yielded only a low density of artifacts and lacked significant features or artifact concentrations to suggest either site would yield important information concerning prehistoric occupations on Tyndall AFB or in the Florida panhandle.