Jerald Milanich 1945-
Expert on Florida's Past
Jerald Milanich (mih LAHN ish), of Gainesville, Florida, solves mysteries. He is an archaeologist, a college professor, and an expert on Florida's early history. An archaeologist is a person who studies remains, such as tools and pottery, to learn about people in the past.
Milanich studies the American Indians who lived in Florida before the first Europeans. He also studies the early European settlers in Florida and the effects they had on the American Indians there. Milanich uses historical documents and evidence from excavations, or archaeological digs, to draw conclusions about the past.
Milanich is also a curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History. A curator decides what will be shown at a museum. Milanich organized an exhibit called “First Encounters,” about the earliest Spanish explorers to arrive in the Caribbean and the United States. In 2004, he was named Florida Scientist of the Year by the Florida Academy of Sciences.
Critical Thinking
What are some things Milanich might know about the American Indians of Florida?