Tonight at 8 p.m. WJCT Public Television will premiere a new one-hour documentary "Shadows of the Past: Mysteries from Florida History."
The film, produced, written, and directed by WJCT senior producer and director Stephen Jones, will explore three persistent Florida mysteries: the exact location of Ponce de Leon’s landing, the original site of Fort Caroline, and the actual appearance of the Timucuan Indians.
Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon is credited with discovering Florida in 1513, yet scholars still debate the exact location of his landing on Florida’s east coast.
The original site of Fort Caroline remains undiscovered, despite numerous attempts through the years to locate this historic landmark.
Theodor de Bry’s engravings of the Timucuan Indians were long believed to be accurate representations of these native peoples, but scholars are now questioning the accuracy of the artwork that depicts those who called Florida home for thousands of years.
Jones spoke with archaeologists, historians, and scholars to try and answer these questions about Florida’s beginnings.
Funding for the film was provided through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The film will premiere on WJCT-TV 7.1 (Comcast 8, 440), and will be available online at WJCT OnDemand.
