Have you ever wondered what happens to all the artifacts that archaeologists unearth in Florida?

The State of Florida’s Bureau of Archaeological Research, or BAR, in Tallahassee has a wonderful conservation lab and collections facility. This is where the artifacts found on public property go to be preserved and protected.

This facility has nearly 475,000 artifacts, most recovered from Florida state-owned or public-managed land and water.

These collections are all significant to Florida’s past and include objects that date back to some of the oldest cultures in Florida some 12,000 years ago. For example, there’s a rare spear thrower made by an ancient Native American out of mammoth bone. A more recent item is a 1950s coke bottle from the homestead of famous author Marjorie Rawlings.

Not only does the Bureau of Archaeological Research store and protect these wonderful artifacts, but it makes them available for researchers to study and for visitors to enjoy at the Museum of Florida History and at museums across the state.

Written, narrated, and produced by the University of West Florida, the Florida Public Archaeology Network and WUWF Public Media.