NORTH PORT — The Warm Mineral Springs/Little Salt Spring Archaeological Society will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 in Decker Hall at North Port Community United Church of Christ, 3450 S. Biscayne Drive. Archaeologist Ryan Murphy will discuss “The Hill Cottage Midden: A Monumental Achievement.” The midden is a Late Archaic shell ring that is part of the Palmer Site at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey, where Murphy is curator. Shell rings dating to the Late Archaic period can be found along the coast of the Southeastern United States between South Carolina and Florida. It was concluded that the site had been abandoned around 1275 B.C. and was repopulated several hundred years later by the early Manasota Culture.

Murphy is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where he majored in anthropology. Currently, he is a candidate for an M.A. in humanities, with a concentration in history, from California State University. His responsibilities at Spanish Point include the management and care of a nearly 20,000-object collection, the preservation of several historic buildings and the ongoing conservation of the Palmer Site. His presentation will be followed by a field trip to Spanish Point on Oct. 20. All are invited. For more information call Hilda Boron at 941-426-1719 or visit wmslssas.org/.