A Quartz Crystal Cross from Mission San Luis, Florida

Excavations in the church complex at the 17th century Franciscan mission site of San Luis de Talimali in Tallahassee, Florida, uncovered a portion of the mission cemetery beneath the church floor. Among the remains was a cross fashioned from a single piece of quartz crystal. The raw material and shape of this artefact combine both Native American and Christian religious symbolism, while analysis of the cross using photomicrography reveals the techniques used in its manufacture. Based on the manufacturing methods and tools employed, it is suggested that the cross was fashioned by a Native American artisan.