The Coontie Island Collection: Exchange Networks and Social Landscapes During the Late Archaic Period

In March 1939, teenagers LeRoy and William Stevens and their uncle Raymond McQuaig beached their boat on the shore of Coontie, or “Coony” island as some called it, to roast oysters and clams while out fishing.

Eroding from the sandbank and washing off the beach were hundreds of exceptional and exotic stone artifacts. Others too soon went to the island to search for artifacts. Ultimately, John Thompson and Harold Ryman, the island’s owners, purchased and traded to secure the artifacts. Archaeologists took note and considered the collection unusual and exceptional, but little else was known about them or the site.

In May 2022, archaeologists from Eastern Kentucky University and the Florida Public Archaeology Network – Northeast analyzed and documented the Coontie Island Collection, recording an abundance of data for every artifact and creating 3-D models for many. In this presentation, Dr. Jon Endonino will share the history of the collection, its contents, and the far-flung origins for many, revealing the interconnections among prehistoric Native Americans and the social networks that brought them to St. Augustine during the Late Archaic period, 5600-4700 years ago.