Garden Patch Archeological Site

Garden Patch, on Florida’s Gulf Coast near Horseshoe Beach, was occupied in two main phases from about A.D. 25 to 120 and from about 240 to 980. First interpreted as a homestead, it later became a Middle Woodland ceremonial center linked to the Swift Creek and Weeden Island cultures. Its dune-top layout of six mounds, three midden areas, a pond, and a central plaza matches a broader regional pattern of ceremonial centers in northern Florida and southern Georgia. Burials, mound construction, and pottery made with the same carved paddle as pieces found at distant sites point to its ceremonial role and wider regional connections.

Horseshoe Beach, Florida · United States