SEMINOLE – Mac Perry, author and archaeologist, says Paleo Indians roamed the area 12,000 years ago hunting for huge mastodons and giant ground sloths.
Archaic Indians wove plant fiber into cloth and threw spears at small animals 9,000 years ago. More than 20 temple mound towns sprung up in Pinellas County 1,000 years ago.
Perry added that six things drastically changed the lifestyle of Indians 500 years ago. Find out what those changes were and more about ancient Indian cultures as Perry talks with the Seminole Historical Society.
The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 28, 7 p.m., at the Seminole Community Library. It is free and open to the public.
Perry’s talk, The Past 12,000 Years in Seminole, will describe the seven cultures of pre-historic people who lived in the area. He also will show artifacts. Perry is the author of eight books including “Indian Mounds You Can Visit and Black Conquistador: The Story of the 1528 Narvaez Landing in Pinellas County.”
With much construction in Seminole, Nancy Barlow, vice president for the society, said, “Few of us have any clue about the civilizations that lived here thousands of years ago.”
Perry moved to Seminole in 1969 to work as a Pinellas County horticulture agent. He earned three college degrees and is an artist who specializes in city scenes and house portraits. Barlow said Perry is a vocational archaeologist.
“Mr. Perry is a talented and likeable man,” she said.
With life imitating art, Perry lives with his wife Faye on a 1,000-year-old Indian mound in the Bay Pines area.
April’s session focused on Meares Lake in Seminole City Park and the pioneer families that lived and built the community. All meetings are open to anyone, not restricted to Historical Society members. No reservations are necessary.
Barlow encourages any resident or business member in the community with historical memorabilia to bring it to the June 28 meeting. Even something small may serve as an important piece of the history of Seminole.
Residents are still invited to join the 100 members of the society. Family fees are $10, business memberships are $25 and community organizations fees are $15. Kristen Oliphant, president, welcomes questions about the historical society at 596-9601.
