Archaeology has helped us learn a lot about life in prehistoric Pensacola. Although little archaeological evidence exists from Pensacola’s earliest Paleoindian residents, sites from later periods reveal a strong reliance on the marine landscape. Local salt and fresh waterways provided sources of food and water, routes for transportation, and raw materials for tools.

Beginning in the Late Archaic Period, prehistoric people increasingly used local waterways to create trade networks. Later Woodland and Mississippian groups relied on abundant fish and shellfish to feed growing numbers of inhabitants.

These groups often modified marine shells to create spoons, jewelry, cups, axes, and other tools. Woodland and Mississippian people also used discarded shells to build long ceremonial mounds along the shoreline. Much like today, marine resources were an important part of prehistoric life in Pensacola.