Consisting of ten temple, burial, shell, and sand mounds, Crystal River Site is a complex ceremonial center and burial site. Occupation at the site occurred during the Deptford, Weeden Island, and Safety Harbor prehistoric periods. This site has played a significant role in the development of archeological method and theory by helping explaining the relationship between early mound building groups in the Gulf of Mexico coastal areas of Florida and the Hopewellian cultures in the Ohio River Valley. By focusing the debates in archeological scholarship over the possibilities of direct communication between the Gulf Coast area of the Eastern United States and Mesoamerican cultures, Crystal River has also made significant contributions in the field of archeology.

Information provided by the National Register of Historic Places, a program of the National Park Service