ABSTRACT
Wet sites are storehouses that stock categories of materials that seldom survive at archaeological sites. Florida's wet sites furnish an excellent example of how these unique classes of objects broaden the data base and permit a more holistic view of the past. Temporal and regional differences in prehistoric wooden art styles can be identified as a result of the preservation of archaeological material in Florida's wetlands. Rising water tables during the mid-Holocene can be suggested as a practical reason for the adoption of a new type of cemetery arrangement. At Hontoon Island it has been possible to document several major modifications or disruptions in Indian lifeways during the early sixteenth century, following European contact. Investigations at water-saturated archaeological sites yield a large portion of the estimated 90% of material culture that is usually missing from upland sites. This expansion of the data base can be used to understand the past more completely and confirm or correct previous interpretations.
