John W. Griffin (1919-93) was the first professional archaeologist employed in Florida. He is best known for having made important contributions to the foundations and development of historical archaeology. This edited volume of sixteen papers, most previously unpublished, creates a base of knowledge useful to those interested in the history of archaeology in Florida and in the archaeological interpretations of historical sites that are rooted in the Hispanic history of this state. Griffin’s contributions to historical archaeology are well presented in the foreword by Kathleen Deagan and the introduction by Patricia Griffin, wife of John Griffin and editor of this volume, as well as in chapter 1, a type of autobiographical statement in which Griffin reveals how he became an archaeologist. This volume is important in that it illustrates how interpretations of historical sites changed in relation to the changing needs of the public’s view of the past and of archaeological research. Case studies of these changes and the effect they have had on local interpretations are presented for the Addison Blockhouse and the Booker T. Washington National Monument (chapters 7 and 8).
Those interested in the Hispanic American history of archaeological sites in Florida will find useful the chapters on excavations at the seventeenth-century site of San Luis (chapter 6) and at the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine (chapter 9). The final chapters are essays oriented to the general public; they focus on the Indians during the conquest of Florida, as well as on the impact of the conquest and the missions that were later established. Finally, this book is very well edited and printed.
