Ponce de Leon`s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is featured

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2013
Media Information: 904 806 3045
http://www.fountainofyouthflorida.com
Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is
featured in Fall, 2013 Issue of American Archaeology Magazine
St. Augustine, Florida – Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is featured in the Fall, 2013
issue of American Archaeology magazine. The magazine, which is a quarterly publication of The
Archaeological Conservancy, featured the St. Augustine attraction in a six-page article titled Finding Menendez’
Footprint.
The article briefly recaps the fascinating history of the Fountain of Youth Park through the years, then goes on
to describe the work of Dr. Kathleen Deagan at the Park. Beginning in 1976, Dr. Deagan has been periodically
excavating what has proven to be the original site of the 1565 Pedro Menendez settlement of St. Augustine.
The Fountain of Youth Park has been privately owned by the Fraser family since 1927, and their conservative
stewardship of the grounds for the past 86 years completely preserved the archaeological record of the area.
Dr. Deagan has therefore had the opportunity to excavate undisturbed areas of ground, leading to important
discoveries about the origins of St. Augustine, the first colonial European settlement.
The archaeological discoveries at the Fountain of Youth Park include a long list of notable and interesting
finds. The September, 1565 settlement has been conclusively pinpointed to have been in an area in the eastern
portion of the Park. The first site of the 1587 Mission of Nombre de Dios has been located in the Southwest
corner of the Park. The thousand year-old grave of a domesticated dog was discovered during a Deagan dig.
Underlying the entire Park, the traces of Timucuan activity stretching back at least 2,500 years bear testimony
to the original inhabitants of the North Florida area.
With guest book records stretching back to 1868, Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is
the oldest attraction in the state of Florida, and the Park continues to entertain guests today. With 15 waterfront
acres of exhibits, the Park welcomes thousands of visitors a year, closing only on Christmas Day.
According to Dr. Kathleen Deagan, “There may be no other single property in Florida that contains such an
array of important archaeological resources for our state's early history.” For more information on Ponce de
Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, please visit http://www.fountainofyouthflorida.com. A PDF of
the article is available at http://www.fountainofyouthflorida.com/images/AmericanArchaeologyFall2013.pdf
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