home: exhibits: north_america: usa: florida: mound builders: archaic:     Archaic Mound Builders of Florida   Native Americans roamed the landscape in small family bands searching for food during the Paleoindian period. This wandering would finally lead them to locations where resources were abundant, predictable and most importantly, reliable. Now their wandering could stop and they could settle into one area and exploit the natural bounty. Upon settling down they would inevitably leave their mark on the landscape. It was during this new time period, called the Archaic, that Florida's aboriginal architects would begin constructing massive structures. Learn about their accomplishments by following the links below: Horr's Island Mounds: Marco Island, Florida  3000 BC One of the oldest  Archaic archaeological sites in Florida also features one of the oldest burial mounds in North America.   Tomoka Mounds: Ormand Beach, Florida 2510 BC This site contains nine earthworks constructed all constructed from successive layers of different colored sands.   Shell Rings: Guana River & Joseph Reed Shell Rings St. Augustine/Hobe Sound, Florida  2050 BC These two separate sites are home to the oldest shell rings to be found in Florida, each constructed from tons of oyster and other shells.