We are excited to announce that Austin J. Bell, curator of collections for the Marco Island Historical Society and a consulting scholar at the Penn Museum, will be talking about his book, “The Nine Lives of Florida’s Famous Key Marco Cat” in the classroom of the Calusa Heritage Trail on Saturday, February 25th at 11am. Following his talk, Austin will sign copies of his book (available in our gift shop).
Excavated from a waterlogged archaeological site on the shores of subtropical Florida by legendary anthropologist Frank Hamilton Cushing in 1896, the Key Marco Cat has become a modern icon of heritage, history, and local identity. This book takes readers into the deep past of the artifact and the Native American society in which it was created.
In this fascinating work, Austin Bell explores nine periods in the life of the six-inch-high wooden carving, beginning with how it was sculpted with shell and shark-tooth tools and what it may have represented to the ancient Calusa—perhaps a human-panther god. Preserved in the muck for centuries on Marco Island and discovered in pristine condition due to its oxygen-free environment, the Cat has since traveled more than 12,000 miles and has been viewed by millions of people. It is one of the Smithsonian Institution’s most irreplaceable items. In this fascinating account, Bell traces the clues to the Cat’s mysterious origins that have emerged in its later lives.
Registration is required. Please arrive no later than 10:45 AM so we can get everyone seated in time for an 11am start.
