Falcon Figurehead- Key Marco, FL
Institution: Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
State: Florida
Object: Figurine
Era: Late Prehistoric
Between 1896-1897, the Pepper–Hearst expedition set out to excavate Key Marco, a small watercourt in Southwest Florida. The area was occupied by the Calusa tribe for several centuries, but evidence shows that the site was quickly abandoned- possibly due to a political raid or a natural disaster.
The highlight of the collection is the Key Marco Cat- a 6 inch, kneeling figurine that has been a prized possession for multiple museums. In addition to the cat figurine, archaeologists recovered numerous masks and figureheads like the one above. The pieces were found in groupings and housed separately from other buildings.
Figureheads were formed from separate pieces of wood, making them easier to operate mechanically. Performers most likely wore figureheads as a headdress or carried it as a rattle and used the mask to conceal their faces. The Smithsonian mislabeled the figurehead as a "sea turtle", but this object has since been re-interpreted as a peregrine falcon.
