On the northernmost tip of Captiva Island stands a piece of southwest Florida history that may help scientists unlock the mysteries of an ancient culture.
From the road lined with high-priced homes in the secluded South Seas Plantation, a mound with several peaks built by the Calusa Indians more than 2,000 years ago looks like any other clump of mangroves and vegetation.
Hundreds of years of plant growth and soil deposits have hidden the sun-bleached white shells that form the foundation of the mound, which at one point reaches 18 feet high.
But by studying what is underneath that growth more thoroughly than in previous mound excavations, scientists hope to uncover the answers of how Calusa built their shell hills.
Excellent. Seems like they've acquired private funding from the landowner to conduct very detailed analyses of the middens.