Little Salt Spring
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Little Salt Springs | |
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(U.S. National Register of Historic Places) | |
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Location: | Sarasota County, Florida |
Nearest city: | North Port |
Added to NRHP: | July 10, 1979 |
Little Salt Spring is an archaeological and paleontological site in North Port, Florida, United States. It is located off U.S. 41. On July 10, 1979, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The Springs are a result of the karst topography of South Florida, and is an example of a sinkhole. The springs feeding the sinkhole have created an anoxic environment, allowing for the preservation of Paleo-Indian artifacts as well as fossils of extinct megafauna once found in Florida.
Originally, it was thought that Little Salt Springs were a normal sinkhole, but it has been discovered that the sinkhole extends downward several hundred meters in the center, similar to the cenotes of the Yucatán.
The site is maintained and studied by Dr. John Gifford of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and the University of Miami.
[edit] References and external links
- Sarasota County listings at National Register of Historic Places
- Sarasota County listings at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
- The Little Salt Spring Underwater Archaeology Project at the Marine Affairs and Policy Division of RSMAS