DeSoto Site Historic State Park, State historic park in Tallahassee, United States.

DeSoto Site Historic State Park is a state park featuring archaeological excavation sites and a former governor's residence spanning about five acres near Apalachee Parkway. The grounds preserve remains from a 16th-century Spanish expedition and indigenous settlements.

Excavations began after the site was identified as a 16th-century expedition camp and revealed thousands of objects buried there. These discoveries significantly advanced understanding of European exploration in Florida.

The site reflects the meeting of Spanish explorers and indigenous peoples, visible through artifacts displayed in the Governor Martin House. You can see how these two worlds intersected at this location.

The park offers guided tours where visitors can view uncovered artifacts and excavation areas. Well-maintained pathways make the grounds accessible to people with different mobility needs.

The pig jawbone mattered because pigs were not native to the Americas; Spanish documents record that the expedition brought swine, so the bone tied the campsite to De Soto's 1539-40 winter stay. State archaeologist Calvin Jones found the first 16th-century Spanish artifacts here by chance in 1987.