Excavating a Legacy: Dr. Kathleen Deagan

Dr. Kathleen Deagan began her career as one of only a few women archaeologists. Despite the professional challenges that brought, she pioneered historical archaeology techniques that are utilized worldwide. Since 1972, she has excavated in St. Augustine, Florida. Her work there led to one of her most significant achievements, identifying Ft. Mose, the first free Black community in what would later become the United States. Today, after more than 50 years in the field, she is a world-renowned scholar who continues to publish books and excavate historic sites.

Excavating a Legacy was curated by Maile McCall, in partial fulfillment of a Master of Arts in Museum Studies (UF). McCall worked with Dr. Gifford Waters (Collections Manager for Historical Archaeology, Florida Museum of Natural History) and Lourdes Santamaría-Wheeler (Exhibits Director, Smathers Libraries) to research and create the exhibit. It was designed by Katiana Bagué (Exhibits Associate, Smathers Libraries) and Lourdes Santamaría-Wheeler. The exhibit features items from the Smathers Libraries, excerpts from oral history interviews, and artifacts from the Florida Museum of Natural History, where Dr. Deagan was Curator of Historical Archaeology for 28 years. Exhibition highlights include 16th-, 17th-, and 18th-century archaeological artifacts, several of Dr. Deagan’s numerous publications, and personal letters and ephemera.

The exhibit is on view on the second floor of Marston Science Library from August 20, 2026 through December 18, 2026. The building is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. except for university holidays and semester breaks. For exceptions and holidays view the building hours on the Libraries’ shared calendar. All exhibitions are open to the public and free of charge.