The bioarchaeology of identity in Spanish colonial Florida: Social and evolutionary transformation before, during, and after demographic collapse

In this article, I consider the effects of Spanish missionization on indigenous identity and biological interaction patterns. Odontometric data were recorded for 26 skeletal samples dating to three time periods: precontact (C.E. 1200-1400), early mission (C.E. 1600-1650), and late mission (C.E. 1650-1700). Population genetic analyses generated estimates of regional genetic variation (FST) and intersample genetic distances. Genetic variation during the precontact period was limited despite documented linguistic and cultural variation. Variation increased during the early mission period, indicating a decline in between-group interaction despite inclusion within a single colonial sociopolitical framework. During the late mission period, variation declined significantly, indicating a dramatic reduction in between-group variability consistent with genetic drift and gene flow between communities. I discuss these results in terms of archaeological and historical models of postcolonial transformation and suggest an emerging polyethnic community was resident in La Florida preceding the subsequent diaspora caused by burgeoning European military conflict in eastern North America.