This paper is the culmination of more than 30 years of living under the cope of Bense. Every grad student came into the archaeology program at UWF with their own vision of how archaeology should be done. We all left with a deeper respect for the trade by the way we were taught, lead and guided through the web of archaeology. Through sweat, laughter and probably tears, all became the archaeologists standing before you today. This paper will discuss those early lessons and how those lessons have been applied to the work we do today and how even after so many years have passed, we still hear those Benseian sayings permeate into our daily instructions to those we teach.

Bensian archaeology is the ability to see an opportunity and make the most of it. Forty years ago, at the Hawkshaw site in Pensacola, Dr. Judy Bense recognized that public archaeology can serve both the community and her research. Twenty years ago, she realized she could take her vision of public archaeology across the entire state of Florida, creating a unique network dedicated to public outreach, education, and engagement with archaeology. Since 2005, the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) has continued to grow and adapt to the changing world of public archaeology and the needs of a state whose population and land itself are constantly shifting. By embracing Judy’s eye for opportunity and tenacity to make the most of it, FPAN has become an international leader in public archaeology. This paper explores FPAN’s origins and directions for the future as it continues Judy’s vision of archaeology for everyone.

The urban nature of Pensacola's colonial archaeology means we get tiny fragments of the archaeology a piece at a time. Beginning in the early 1990s Dr. Bense realized the importance of a single, unified archaeological grid across Pensacola and found the people and tools necessary to help implement it. Using this grid, more than three decades of archaeological work, from controlled excavations to construction monitoring and remote sensing, can be lined up with historic maps to give us a better understanding of the episodic excavations of a larger colonial landscape. This paper presents the origins of the Pensacola archaeological grid through its modern revisions and refinement that allow us to see how the pieces fit.

Archaeology has been a Pensacola staple since Dr. Judith Bense started engaging the public with the history in their backyards. She laid the foundation for public archaeology in the city, notably through the Hawkshaw Project and the Florida Public Archaeology Network. In addition to involving local volunteers in the Hawkshaw excavation, Dr. Bense worked with community members to produce publications, exhibitions, and programs on the methods and results of the project. Today, many of these products, including the original exhibit, are not publicly accessible. This research builds on the work that Dr. Bense started in 1984 by reintroducing Hawkshaw to the public. Artifacts from the original exhibition are now on display in the Destination Archaeology Resource Center museum and online in a new exhibition on the evolution of public archaeology in Pensacola. This research demonstrates how Dr. Bense and her work continue to influence new generations of archaeologists.