DADE CITY, Fla. — Looking for evidence of ancient cultures isn’t something exclusive to remote spots in faraway lands.

What You Need To Know

  • Florida on a Tankful visits The Big Dig Florida

  • Current dig site in Dade City, south of Buddy Lake

  • Artifacts from 3,000 to 8,000 years ago

  • Different sifting, searching options for day of discovery

You can do it right here in Florida.

Just south of Buddy Lake in Pasco County, the ground is releasing evidence of people living here thousands of years ago.

Rob Jones of Big Dig Florida is looking for it.

And you are invited.

“What we are really after are the tools used by ancient Native Americans — arrowheads, projectile points and tool that they used to skin hides,” said Jones.

Jones started looking for artifacts in Florida as a teen — turning a hobby into his profession this year.

The first artifact Jones found was at 19 in a Gainesville backyard while studying at the University of Florida.

“So this area here, this is an 80-acre block. We have about 50-55 acres that are dry that we can dig on,” said Jones.

Nearby sites made this area attractive to Jones.

So he leased the land and started moving it to find artifacts.

“And come to find out it’s absolutely rich with them,” said Jones.

Jones teaches visitors about ancient Florida at his different sifting stations.

“And so this area was under water for millions of years, millions of years ago,” said Jones.

That’s how ancient people found and used fossilized coral for tools and weapons.

“Anywhere between 700, 800-years-old all the way up to about 11,500-years-old,” said Jones.

Jones hopes activities like this will make people excited about history — the ancient history of the Sunshine State.