Archeological Treasures on Marco Island and the Wildlife that lives Amongst Them

Gene Erajvec, longtime Collier County resident and archeologist will talk about all the historical findings he's discovered on Marco Island and in Naples. Some of the typical findings consist of shell hammers. Hollowed out shells, fixed with pieces of wood to create a handle, were used to dig out canoes, open oyster shells, chisel, hammer and so on. They were useful tools that were easy to manufacture and used over and over again. Once they wore them out, they just grabbed another shell and made a new one. Oftentimes these shells are found completely worn down from multiple use.

Arc shells are also a common find. The shell is pierced on top deliberately and is used as a net weight.

Fish jaws, sea turtle bones and shark vertebrae are also typical finds as these were the main food source for the Calusa.

Come here the interesting stories of our area and things you may not have know about our interesting past here in Collier County.