Archaeology Students Discover Rare 400-Year-Old Intact Pot

University of Florida archaeology students uncovered a rare intact clay pot at Mission San Francisco de Potano in northwest Gainesville.

The vessel, likely made by a Potano-Timucua person, was found unbroken beneath the soil at a 17th-century Spanish mission site.

Researchers say the find offers a rare window into Indigenous life, mission-era activity, and possible cultural exchange.

The discovery was made during a field course involving the University of Florida and the Florida Museum of Natural History.