these are eastern oysters and these are crested oysters. crested oysters exist in higher salinity waters. to get higher salinity at various points but also when there are prolonged periods of

droubt. there are holes that indicate higher salinity waters. this is some of the clues or indicators to where people were going to collect food, particularly when they are in assemblage, in a mix with other species. by detailed analysis we began to understand the resilience of the people here and parts of their culture. we know they endured an extreme period of long-term cld. they abandoned the site around a hundred years. when they returned was when they began to use the middens and mounds and to be building massive structures as well as excavating a canal that took the route with what was likely to be a freshwater stream. it was widened and excavated until it was 30 feet wide eight to 12 feet deep and went all the way across this island.

that kind of construction work is also as midden mounds. going as the 1600s, they established a posse-using. what do you cap the colusa away from the conflicts. when they began, it set the stage for the people who became professional slavers professionals and were equipped with guns and came to take south indigenous people as slaves.

in the 1690's their numbers had in reduced to about 2000 people. they only had their basic tools and no guns. in 1711 then known as a group of people, including 701 by ship to cuba. it is thought there were others who did not have spaces on the ship. and-a-half headlands out of their towns and 401 -- other neighbor -- native people flee into florida and there began to be an amalgam of cultures that formed the seminoles. it is possible that the listener does part of that is groups and there is a saying that to live the -- if you're still speaking of them they are not gone.

you people shared the trailer and the red recent -- research chamber with the hope -- people had families here, they had the tear [indiscernible] when they leave here they will understand they were people living in a place, living well, developing art and music and a spirituality, and there were times of conflict. if we can take lessons from that about how we relate to other people from around the world that is important and special and we do feel -- we can understand a bit more and they can look at our southwest or to

environment and understand it the great deal more as well. >> today's look at the people, atces, and events looking native american history as part of c-span's city tour. you can see more at our website, c-span.org. more american history tour on native americans here on c-span. 1704, mission san luis was devoted to converting to local apalachee indians

christianity. today it is a living history museum. >> it is a state archaeology park. this is a place where you and your family can stroll through the grounds, talked with knowledgeable interpreters about a world of spain and its effect's on the appalachee and how that engages and informs a more spanish world. -- an emerging hispanic world. they landed with the idea to explore the coastline. he was looking to gather the riches.

they were hoping for gold or other valuables they could take it. the aztec empire, the inca empire, the great silver mines of mexico, they thought north america must have some of those resources as well. by the time you get tallahassee, he thought he had missed his supply ship and they decided to build some crude ships. the next person to try was desoto. the spaniards come in and they establish [inaudible]

-- establish saint augustine in 1655. they asked for some priests to be sent to them and eventually priests as dust do come. that certainly would have been a motivator. in a motivator. in any event by 6056 there had been agrium it between the appalachia and this for motion, military, and you [indiscernible] so you had the western capital in the second largest mission established here on this

hillside, only three miles from the modern capital. we have the capital of west quarter. this was established for the usual protection. there was a need in saint augustine for food. saint augustine relied upon exported food. it was ordered and -- it was sandy. they needed a reliable source of food. there were croplands around the site is far efficiency. this is the bread basket of the early: neil effort. it was important from that standpoint and also it was a fortified outpost halfway between one end of the area.