A case study is presented t
o test the n
oti
on that min
ority p
ottery types fr
om 16th century c
ontexts at the F
ountain
of Y
outh (FOY) site in St. Augustine reflect p
opulati
on m
ovements fr
om the n
orth that preceded maj
or p
olitical re
organizati
ons in the regi
on. Petr
ographic meth
ods are empl
oyed t
o trace the manufacturing
origins
of early hist
oric peri
od ab
original p
ottery in n
ortheast Fl
orida.
Fragments of siliceous microfossils, including sponge spicules, opal phytoliths, and, most notably, diatoms, were identified in the matrix of some early historic period aboriginal pottery from FOY, as well as in some clay samples from the coastal region of northeast Florida and southeast Georgia.
Diatom taxa are identified and their spatial distribution is assessed. The distribution of microfossils supports the nonlocal manufacturing origins of some samples from St. Augustine and conform to expectations about the historic movement of certain aboriginal groups to the settlement.
