THE NATIVE VILLAGE THAT HID HERNANDO DE SOTO’S FIRST CAMP IN AMERICA
They test ideas.
They find objects that turn out not to mean what they first thought.
The sword pommel became important because researchers had already built a detailed understanding of the site.
The discovery was not luck alone.
It was preparation meeting evidence.
THE STUDENT DISCOVERIES
Students played a role in the research as well.
Earlier field schools had helped identify the distinctive house features and understand the settlement.