Prehistoric Underwater Archaeological Sites in Coastal Sarasota County

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Program Description

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Archaeologist Steve Koski will present about three of Sarasota County's coastal underwater archaeological sites: the Venice Beach, the Snake Island Site, and the Offshore Manasota Key Site.

 

While most prehistoric underwater sites are found through incidental discovery by scuba divers, some archaeologists have made a career out of locating underwater sites. The study of these underwater sites has demonstrated great research potential and gives archaeologists an opportunity to study the processes involved in submergence and factors involved in their preservation.     

Sarasota County Archaeologist Steve Koski will present about three of Sarasota County's coastal underwater archaeological sites: the Venice Beach, the Snake Island Site, and the Offshore Manasota Key Site. The discussion will include how they were found, how they can be protected, and what we can learn about the people who once lived along our ever-changing landscapes and coastlines.

Presenter Bio

Steve Koski is a Sarasota County archaeologist with Libraries and Historical Resources. His main responsibility is in the administration of the County’s Historic Preservation Ordinance, Chapter 66, Article III–Historical and Archaeological Resource Protection.  He received a B.A. In Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Boston and competed course work and qualifying exams in a M.A program at Arizona State University.

Steve has been involved in underwater research in Sarasota County for more than 30 years. In 1985 he came to Venice, Florida as a graduate research assistant with his professor Dr. Reynold Ruppe from Arizona State University. Rey had received funding from the National Science Foundation to conduct an underwater remote sensing survey off Venice Beach to test a probability model for locating underwater archaeology sites.  After completing course work and exams in an MA program at ASU, he accepted an underwater research assistant position in 1986 at Warm Mineral Springs and worked with former State Underwater Archaeologist, Sonny Cockrell. In 1992 he participated on a four-month project at Little Salt Spring for University of Miami with Dr. John Gifford, and worked intermittently on projects there from 1992 – 2004 while working for cultural resource management firms conducting archaeological surveys throughout the state.  In 2004 he accepted a part-time resident archaeologist position at Little Salt Spring for the University of Miami and in 2008 was offered a full-time research position at the site until funding was discontinued in 2013. In 2016 and 2017, he participated on the Manasota Key Offshore Site with the with state’s underwater archaeology dive team from the Florida Division of Historical Resources in his role as Sarasota County archaeologist.