Miami Circle Archaeological Site, 401 Brickell Avenue, Miami, Florida, USA / Built: 500 BC – AD 900 / Added to NRHP: February 5, 2002 / Designated NHL: January 16, 2009

The site of 401 Brickell Avenue, named after William Brickell, co-founder of Miami in the 1870s, held an apartment complex until 1998. Property developer Michael Baumann purchased the site for $8.5 million to build a luxury condominium, and in July 1998 tore down the standing apartment complex.

According to City of Miami historic preservation code requirements, he was obliged to commission a routine archaeological field survey of the site prior to commencement of building, but this didn't occur until Bob Carr, then Director of the Miami-Dade County Historic Preservation Division, pressed the issue with the City and Baumann. John Ricisak of the Miami-Dade Historic Preservation Division, along with a host of volunteers and employees of the Archaeological & Historical Conservancy, conducted the salvage excavation of the site with oversight by Bob Carr. The Seminole consider themselves the descendants of the Tequesta who built the circle.

In the course of the exploration, the team discovered a number of holes cut into the Oolitic limestone bedrock. On examining the layout of the holes, the surveyor Ted Riggs postulated that they were part of a circle 38 feet (12 m) in diameter. Having calculated the center, he projected the likely location of the remaining holes. Excavation revealed that there were 24 holes forming a perfect circle in the limestone. Examination of the earth revealed numerous archeological artifacts, ranging from shell-tools and stone axe-heads to human teeth and charcoal from fires.

Artifacts recovered from the Miami Circle site are stored and on display at HistoryMiami. It is the official repository for all archaeological materials recovered in Miami-Dade County.

Age
In order to date the site, pieces of burnt wood were sent in March 1999 for radiocarbon dating by John Ricisak, a specialist in the County Historic Preservation department. The results were a surprise, indicating that the wood was between 1,800–2,000 years old. Some scholars doubt that the circle is as old as the wood. Further evidence to support the theory that the holes were of that age comes from Tom Scott and Harvey Means of the Florida Geological Survey, who point to the buildup of a calcite "duricrust" on the edge of the cut face. Though this is an extremely imprecise way to date the holes, it rules out that they were of modern origin.

Origin
Initial theories on the origin of the site were that it was created by the Olmec or Mayan civilizations. No evidence was found of any artifacts of Central American origin, however. Further examination of the artifacts found at the site, particularly the shell tools, shark teeth, and other items of aquatic origin, showed that they matched perfectly with artifacts known to be from a local tribe, the historic Tequesta.

The Tequesta were a tribe who were believed to be primarily nomadic, hunting fish and alligators in the Florida Everglades. They were considered aggressive as they killed many early European explorers who attempted landfall in Florida. The Tequesta, like many other Native Americans, succumbed to the new infectious diseases brought by European colonists, as well as were disrupted by warfare.

Purpose
Randolph Widmer of the University of Houston suggested holes were postholes for some kind of structure, probably a cone-shaped building with a hole in the top. These sorts of structures were known to have existed in the Eastern United States, yet none was thought to have had such a permanent base as the Miami Circle. Critics of this theory pointed out that there was no evidence of fire on the bedrock as is usually found in the remains of this type of buildings. Widmer's response was that, given the weather common across Florida and resulting flooding, the early people may have raised the structure on stilts. This theory also suggested that the seemingly random array of holes could have been for support posts. They appear in clusters perhaps due to the necessity to replace them as the wood rotted.

Researchers next tried to determine the purpose of the structure. Two obvious candidates are living quarters, or a ceremonial building of some sort. The lack of evidence for the former began to suggest the latter, and further evidence can be put forward to support the theory. Firstly, the effort necessary to create such a structure would involve considerable teamwork, particularly given the lack of tools. This sort of teamwork is often seen in the construction of religious buildings.

Secondly, there were certain anomalies in the artifacts discovered. Many 'common' Tequesta relics were found at the site—tools and perhaps decorative items made from shells and other aquatic materials like sharks' teeth—but there were a few pieces discovered that did not fit. The main items were two basalt axe heads. These axes would have been a particularly sought after item on the southern Florida coast due to the lack of any equivalent hard stone in the area, yet these axe heads are completely untouched. Further analysis of the stone by Dr. Jacqueline Dixon, University of Miami, found that the basalt was likely from the region of Macon, Georgia, some 600 miles (970 km) away. Additional items that may have been placed in, or buried under the structure were a complete 5-foot (1.5 m) long shark skeleton, aligned east to west, a dolphin skull, and a complete carapace of a sea-turtle. Four human teeth were also found, though no other evidence pointed to its being a burial site.

Miami Circle Park
A waterfront park managed by HistoryMiami opened in 2011. The circle itself remains buried to protect it, while an audio tour and several panels describing it are available.

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Circle

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Taken in: United States / Florida / Downtown Miami (show map)

Taken on: December 11, 2022

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Designated NHL: January 16

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24 holes forming a perfect circle in the limestone

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wood was between 1

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Tequesta Indians

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Four human teeth were also found

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