Southern Anthropological Society James Mooney Award

An archaeological study of Florida's springs that shows the importance of springs to Florida's people over thousands of years

Throughout their history, Florida’s springs have been gathering places for far-flung peoples. In Water from Stone, Jason O’Donoughue discusses the genesis of springs and their role as sites of habitation, burials, ritualized feasting, and monument building for Florida’s earliest peoples.

O’Donoughue moves beyond a focus on the ecological roles of springs and the popular image of springs as timeless and pristine—approaches taken by many archaeologists and conservationists. Instead, he foregrounds the social and historical importance of springs and their ongoing use as gathering places that draw people for ritual purposes even today. This archaeological viewpoint creates a bridge between past and present, encouraging conservation efforts that focus on the intrinsic value of springs as places of personal experience and social interaction with deep historical significance. To save the springs, O’Donoughue argues, we must recognize the relevance of the past to the problems Florida’s artesian springs face today.