ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA—While excavating ahead of a construction project in St. Augustine’s historical district, city archaeologist Carl Halbirt uncovered a late eighteenth-century horse burial. “This is the only horse burial we have ever uncovered here in the colonial downtown district,” he told First Coast News. The small horse had been buried on land that had been the site of the Spanish Dragoon Barracks, so the horse was likely to have been a part of the colonial Spanish cavalry in St. Augustine. Its size suggests that it was a now rare breed called a Marsh Tacky. “There’s this subgroup of swamp ponies that are descendants of the original horses brought over from Spain,” explained Amanda LaPorta, a colonial cavalry expert. Marsh Tackies are known for being strong, fast, and able to maneuver the Florida terrain. Halbirt thinks this horse had been a dragoon’s companion. “I think there’s reverence here. They actually laid it out on its side with the legs folded in the chest area. That’s a sign of reverence,” he said. To read about the role of horses in history, go to our newest feature, "The Story of the Horse."
Rare Horse Unearthed in Colonial St. Augustine
News June 9, 2015
Recommended Articles
Features March/April 2024
Freedom Fort
In eighteenth-century Spanish Florida, a militia composed of formerly enslaved Africans fought for their liberty
Digs & Discoveries September/October 2021
Maryland's First Fort
Off the Grid January/February 2021
Ouro Preto, Brazil
Features January/February 2021
Return to the River
Members of Virginia’s Rappahannock tribe are at work with archaeologists to document the landscape they call home
-
Features May/June 2015
The Minoans of Crete
More than 100 years after it was first discovered, the town of Gournia is once again redefining the island's past
(Jarrett A. Lobell) -
Letter from Hawaii May/June 2015
Inside Kauai's Past
Ideal conditions within an ancient cave system are revealing a rich history that reaches back to a time before humans settled the island and extends to the present day
Courtesy Lida Piggott Burney -
Artifacts May/June 2015
Late Roman Amulet
(Courtesy Joachim Śliwa) -
Digs & Discoveries May/June 2015
The Charred Scrolls of Herculaneum
(Fotonews/Splash News/Corbis)