Two Spring Hill residents arrested for excavating artifacts in Citrus County

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)

Citrus County, Florida - After two days of surveillance into excavation activities within the Withlacoochee State Forest (WMA) near Floral City, Florida, on January 14, 2024, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers arrested Zane Anthony Golas, 35, and Amanda Frances Hahn, 34, both of Spring Hill, Florida, on WMA violations.

An FWC officer patrolling the area on January 12 located an active dig site within a known archaeological site in an area of the WMA known as Lizzie Hart Sink. The FWC conducted surveillance on the site for two days until they discovered the two people, later identified as Golas and Hahn, digging on the site, January 14.

The area was surrounded by palm fronds the duo later admitted they'd cut down (also a violation) and erected to conceal their excavation site. Officers found Golas standing inside the dig site, excavating dirt and picking up what appeared to be artifacts, and Hahn nearby, excavating a smaller hole. Golas was in possession of 179 artifact pieces, and Hahn was in possession of 45 artifact pieces.

Golas and Hahn were both charged with excavating, removing or attempting to remove, deface, destroy or otherwise alter an archaeological site on land owned or controlled by the State of Florida. Additional infractions were charged for the cutting down and removal of the palm fronds, and for operating a vehicle on a closed road. They were arrested and taken to the Citrus County Detention Facility in Lecanto, Florida with their bonds set at $2,500 each. The 224 artifacts were seized as evidence.

Archaeological sites in Florida range from large, prominent prehistoric mounds, historic forts and plantations, to smaller sites, such as a historic dump or small scatters of artifacts that represent temporary encampments of Native American people. Regardless of size or complexity, all archaeological sites have the potential to tell us something about the people and environments of the past. More than 27,000 different archaeological sites of all periods are already known in Florida, and many new sites are recorded in the Florida Master Site File each year.

Find more information about Florida’s archeological resources at https://dos.fl.gov/historical/archaeology/.