Perhaps the best known collection from South Florida, this group of artifacts was excavated in 1896 from a waterlogged site on Marco Island, Florida.

Unusual conditions of preservation allowed recovery of netting, cordage, wooden boxes and bowls, bone implements, several extraordinary carved and painted masks and figureheads, and a famous 6-inch-high carved wooden seated feline figurine. They are recognized worldwide as remarkable specimens of Native American artistic achievement.

The Key Marco materials are principally divided between the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania; the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution; and the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. The Florida Museum curates over 600 artifacts of cordage, bone, shell, and wood (including bowls, clubs, painted boxes, the “woodpecker” painted plaque, stools, and some of the masks). Our Key Marco holdings also include numerous examples of fishing gear, such as nets, net weights, net-mesh gauges, bone points and pins, and shell tools and vessels. Some artifacts from Key Marco are on exhibit in the Hall of South Florida People and Environments.

Rectangular object, unknown function, turtle shell, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6449)

Vessel with incised design, gumbo limbo wood, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5489)

Vessel with incised design, gumbo limbo wood, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5491)

Vessel, cypress wood, A.D. 700-1500; Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5483)

Vessel with decorated handles, gumbo limbo wood, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5481)

Leaf or arrow-shaped vessel, wood, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5504)

Bead, bone, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-4404)

Canoe-shaped vessel or toy canoe, wood, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5528)

Canoe-shaped vessel or toy canoe, wood, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5506)

Pestle, wood, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5492)

Pestle, wood, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5522)

Pestle, lignumvitae wood, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5517)

Canoe paddle, wood, A.D. 1-100, Key Marco, Collier Co, 50in x 5in x 1¼in (A-5808)

Fishing net fragments, palm fiber, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (92-41-7)

Tablet or reel with cordage, wood and palm fiber, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5825)

Notched shell reel with cordage, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6096)

Hammer, conch shell, with wooden handle fragments, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6150)

Perforator, conch shell, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6110)

Sinker, whelk shell, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6254)

Cutting-edged tool, whelk shell, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6295)

Net weights, ark shell, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6351)

Scallop effigy gorget, whelk shell, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-4419)

Dipper, whelk shell, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6147)

Cutting-edged tool, whelk shell, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6306)

Cutting-edged tool, whelk shell, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6381)

Thatch cutter, barracuda jaw, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-4393)

Net-weaving shuttle, deer bone, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-4410)

Net-weaving shuttle, deer bone, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-4405)

Carved tool socket, deer antler, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-4412)

Net mesh gauge, turtle bone, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6445)

Peg-topped pin, alligator bone, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-4399)

Point, alligator bone, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6429)

Anchor, limestone, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6244)

Plummet or sinker, ground stone, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6196)

Anchor, coral, A.D. 700-1500,Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6241)

Sinker with cordage and knot, stone and fiber, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6227)

Box lid with painted reptile design, wood and paint, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5653)

Box side with painted design, wood, found with reptile lid (A-5653) shown here, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A5654A)

Shell with pigment, sunray venus clam shell and pigment, with visible brush strokes, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6120)

Net mesh gauge, shell, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6079)

Net floats with cordage, cypress wood and palm fiber, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5747)

Plaque with painted woodpecker, cypress wood with natural pigments, A.D. 650-750, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-5537)

Sinker, whelk shell, A.D. 700-1500, Key Marco, Collier Co. (A-6257)