Overview
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. A volume in the Florida Museum of Natural History: Ripley P. Bullen Series
Full Product Details
Author: Jason O'Donoughue
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Imprint: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 9781683406266
ISBN 10: 1683406265
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 16 December 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
""[Connects] archaeological history to modern conservation of Florida's springs, effectively demonstrating the relevance of archaeological inquiry. Whether you are an archaeologist working in the American Southeast, interested in historical ecology or entanglement theory, or simply looking for a good read, Water from Stone's engaging prose and thoughtful arguments will prove to be a valuable resource.""--Journal of Anthropological Research ""O'Donoughue balances many levels of analyses: geological, hydrological, archaeological, historical and contemporary parameters are woven together. . . . O'Donoughue has opened an interesting and new avenue for other archaeological studies.""--Antiquity
Author Information
Jason O’Donoughue is an archaeologist at the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research in Tallahassee. He is coeditor of The Archaeology of Events: Cultural Change and Continuity in the Pre-Columbian Southeast.
