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Secondary sourcePhotograph27 September 2016

Tocabaga Mound, Possible Landing Site of Narváez

MiaCass16 · 27 September 2016

A modern photo of a shoreline mound in Florida believed to be where Pánfilo de Narváez's expedition landed in 1528, the voyage on which Cabeza de Vaca served.

A modern photo of the site believed to be where the Narváez expedition, which Cabeza de Vaca joined, first landed in 1528.

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A shoreline on a calm bay with scattered dark rocks and weathered shell-like stones on sandy ground, grass and a green shrub at left, and a distant city skyline with low buildings and trees under a clear blue sky.
Tocabaga mound, believed landing site of the Narváez expedition, Boca Ciega Bay, Florida. Photographed by MiaCass16, 2016.

About this source

What it is

This photograph, taken in 2016, shows the Tocabaga mound, a site on Boca Ciega Bay in Florida once part of a Native American village. It is thought to be the first landing site of Pánfilo de Narváez's expedition in 1528. The area is now a small bayside park with an education center holding archaeological finds from the site.

Why it matters

Cabeza de Vaca was a member of the Narváez expedition, which marked the beginning of European exploration of mainland North America. This site connects to the disastrous journey that led to his years of survival among Native American peoples before he eventually made his way back to Spanish territory. The site itself belonged first to Native Americans, whose village existed here before European arrival.

Look closer

  • What does the presence of a Native American village before European arrival tell you about who already lived here?
  • Why is this location described as only a possible landing site, not a certain one?
  • How does an archaeological park differ from a written historical record?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Signature of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

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