Playing on the myth of Ponce de Leon, there is a Fountain of Youth in a private park in St. Augustine. While it started as a tourist attraction as early as 1860, it also marks the spot of an Indian village and North America’s earliest Catholic mission.
Archaeologists have documented that the Timucuans and their ancestors lived in northeast Florida for over two thousand years. When Menendez landed in 1565 at what is now St. Augustine, there was a large thriving Timucuan village led by a chief named Seloy. Archaeologists have found the remains of Seloy’s village and the Spanish encampment in today’s Fountain of Youth Park.
In the 1580s, the first Catholic mission, named Nombre de Dios, was established and its remains are also in the park. Archaeologists and historians have studied these two Indian communities finding physical evidence of their buildings, church, and cemeteries. While the Fountain of Youth is a private park, it is open to the public with many displays of artifacts and a walking trail to the two historic sites.
Unearthing Florida is a project of WUWF Public Media, the Florida Public Archaeology Network(FPAN), and its founder, Dr. Judith Bense, since 1998. FPAN's Michael Thomin is a contributor to the program. WUWF's Sandra Averhart is the executive producer.
