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MIAMI CIRCLE FACTS *(*Some excerpts adapted from the officialMiami-Dade County Miami Circle Fact Sheet) SITE DISCOVERY The
Miami
Circle
was
discovered
in
August/September,
1998,
during
routine
archaeo-logical
investigations
conducted
at
the
site
of
six
low-rise,
1950-era
apartment
buildings
(Brickell
Point
Apartments),
which
were
razed
to
make
way
for
construction
of
two
high-rise
apartment
towers.
Surveyor
Ted
Riggs
uncovered
an
arc-like
section
and
was
convinced
this
would
be
a
circle
incised
into
the
stone,
underneath
the
three
feet
of
overlying
Earth.
SITE STATISTICS The
Miami
Circle
is
located
within
archaeological
site
8DA1212,
aka
"Miami
Midden
#2"
or
"The
Brickell
Point
Site."
It
is
situated
on
a
2.2
+/-
acre
parcel
that
is
located
along
the
southern
bank
of
the
Miami
River,
where
the
River
meets
Biscayne
Bay.
The
Miami
Circle
is
characterized
primarily
by
a
series
of
24
main
basin
"rectangles"
which
have
been
cut
almost
2
feet
deep
into
the
site's
oolitic
limestone
bedrock
,
6
smaller
ones,
and
hundreds
of
random
"post
holes."
The
30
large
and
small
"rectangular
basins"
form
a
ring
geometry
approximately
37
feet
in
diameter,
with
the
approximately
500
smaller
round
holes
scattered
randomly
across
the
entire
circle's
width,
if
not
beyond
...
Considering
the
amount
of
modern
construction
(and
demolition)
that
has
taken
place
on
top
of
the
site,
the
Miami
Circle
is
remarkably
intact
--
with
approximately
85%
of
it
preserved.
The
Brickell
Point
property
contains
intact
prehistoric
midden
deposits
on
at
least
50%
-
75%
of
the
parcel.
This
material
contains
a
tremendous
quantity
of
well-preserved
shell,
bone,
ceramics,
and
other
artifacts
deposited
during
several
centuries
of
human
occupation.
 Click image for larger version SITE ORIGINS The "mainstream" opinion says "the Tequesta Indians," a group of Southern Florida native Americans who inhabited the area from about 2000 years ago to after the Spanish arrived -- spanning roughly the same dates as the artifacts recovered from the Cicle's "holes." A minority opinion (Riggs, Hoagland, et al) says MUCH older ... by a sophisticated people who lived here long before the Tequestas were in the area ... perhaps as much as 10,000 to 13,000 years ago.
SITE FUNCTION Archaeological evidence suggests the Miami Circle marks the footprint [foundation] of a large, prehistoric structure, possibly the "foundations for a 'Coucil House,' or other ceremonial structure created by native Americans known as the Tequesta. The evidence also suggests that the Miami Circle had ceremonial importance to the Tequesta: * Cardinal points (i.e. North, South, East, and West) along the Miami Circle appear to have been specially denoted. In particular, an eye-shaped hole was cut into the bedrock at the Circle's eastern point. Its shape was unique among hundreds of holes uncovered at the site. * Two possible animal offerings, a complete sea turtle carapace and the articulated remains of a shark more than six feet in length, were found within the Circle's interior. Each was oriented east-west, a practice often associated with prehistoric human burials. * Several teeth belonging to an extinct species of seal were found within the Miami Circle. Spanish explorer's accounts indicate that the consumption of monk seals, or "sea wolves," were reserved for the elite class. * Two finely-crafted stone axes were found found along the Miami Circle's eastern portion. One of these was recovered from within a posthole cut into the bedrock, and possibly represents an offering. Both axes were made of basalt, a volcanic rock that is not native toFlorida. The
minority
scientists
say
that
the
structure's
puzzling
ring-shaped
array
of
30
rectangular
"basins"
are
more
analogous
to
England's
"Stonehenge"
--
once
serving
as
the
"foundation
slots"
for
a
ring
of
30
upright
stones,
which
once
stood
in
the
currently
surviving
geometric
bedrock
basins
-"an
archeo-astronomical
"stonehenge-like
device,"
for
observing
the
solstices
and
equinoxes,
as
well
as
other
astronomically-based
ceremonial
uses
..."
At
present,
two
radiocarbon
date
determinations
have
been
completed.
Charcoal
samples
collected
from
within
one
of
the
Miami
Circle's
cut
basins
and
from
the
midden
within
the
Miami
Circle
both
dated
to
circa
100
A.D.
Human
occupation
of
the
site
may
date
to
well
over
two
thousands
years
ago.
The
Miami
Circle
archaeological
site
is
regarded
as
being
of
local,
regional,
and
statewide
significance.
The
Miami
Circle
may
also
be
of
national
significance,
as
it
is
believed
to
be
the
only
cut-in-rock
prehistoric
structural
footprint
ever
found
in
eastern
North
America.
The
site
potentially
qualifies
for
listing
in
the
National
Register
of
Historic
Places.
If
we
fail
to
preserve
the
Circle,
a
priceless
,
untouched
example
of
a
previously
unsuspected
sophistication
in
"archaic
North
American
architecture,"
as
well
as
important
new
clues
as
to
the
reasons
for
astronomically-based
indigenous
ceremonial
centers
will
be
lost.
The
Miami
Circle,
though
architecturally
unique
(carved
basins
in
the
limestone
bedrock),
has
at
least
one
other
potetially
significant
analog
in
North
America:
the
ancient
circle
of
wooden
post
holes
--
called
"Woodhenge
2"
--
placed
on
the
summit
of
a
massive
earthen
"Indian
Mound"
known
as
"Cahokia,"
located
across
the
river
from
St.Louis,
Missouri.
 Click image for larger version SITE STATUS The Mayor of Miami-Dade County, the Honorable Alex Penelas, signed an "eminent domain decree" last February, setting in motion a legal process for County acquisition and preservation of the Miami River Circle site. An "eminent domain" trial is set to begin October 4th to decide the actual purchase price of the land. If the County cannot raise the necessary funds in time (the exact amount to be dermined by the jury), the land will then revert back to the developer: MIchael Baumann.. The County needs massive financial help, as the current "save the circle" fund is far short of even what the developer originally paid for the land. The developer, Michael Bauman, originally paid slightly over 8 million dollars for the 2.2 acre site at the mouth of the Miami River. He is now claiming additional costs in architetural development, lost revenues due to the eminent domain proceeding, etc., totalling in excess of 50million dollars. Ultimately, based on evidence presented by the County and the developer at trial, a jury of twelve men and woman selected from the normal jury pool in the Miami area will decide what the Circle site is worth in today's market -- and award Mr.Baumann according compensation. The
state
of
Florida
has
offered
16
million
dollars,
or
half
the
amount
awarded
to
the
developer,
whichever
is
less.
A remarkable cross-section of citizens, not just from Miami, but from literally all around the world, began a vigorous protest to local officials via fax and e-mail in late January, arguing against the imminent destruction of the Circle. These calls for preservation on site came from every ethnic group -- Native Americans, white "Anglos," Cubans, Blacks, Asiatics, etc. -- as well as full from professionals and "blue-collar" workers alike. Most passionate were school children -- who clearly saw the Circle as a "hands on" future heritage issue -- and created several major "art projects" around its origins and preservation. In terms of Miami "development versus preservation," local observers all report this level of interest and protest, and the resulting courageous political action by Mayor Penelas to preserve it, has been unprecedented as a direct result. Increasing
numbers
of
archaeological
experts,
in
addition
to
Miami-Dade
County
archaeologists
Bobb
Carr
and
John
Ricisak,
have
now
visited
the
site
since
January,
1999,
from
scientific
institutions
ranging
from
the
Smithsonian
to
Harvard.
All
have
come
away
convinced
of
not
only
the
Circle's
unique
scientific
importance,
but
its
unique
cultural
heritage
as
well.
Said
Smithsonian
scholar
Miguel
Bretos,
"...
America's
youngest
metropolis,
the
city
without
a
history,
turns
out
to
have
a
far-more
ancient
and
far-more
interesting
history
than
anyone
dared
imagine!"
The current owner of the Brickell Point Development Company (and the Miami Circle property), seeking to build twin high-rise towers on the 2.2 acre site, is developer Michael Baumann. The discoverer of the Circle itself was professional surveyor and long-time amateur archeologist, T. L. Riggs. The former chief archaeologist for Miami-Dade County, and still Project Director for the Miami Circle excavation, is Bobb Carr (now Executive Director of the privately-funded Archaeological and Historical Conservancy). His former Miami-Dade assistant, archaeologist John Ricisak, is current Field Director of the Miami Circle excavation. Richard C. Hoagland, former NASA consultant and Science Advisor to Walter Cronkite and CBS News, and 1993 Angstrom Medal winner for Excellence in Science, has been leading the fight for preservation of the Circle. It was through his major media contacts and continuing efforts that national and international attention was first focused on the problem, leading to the political and courageous legal action to "save the circle" by Mayor Alex Penelas. Assisting Hoagland in these vigorous grassroots efforts was the well-known Native American activist, Robert Ghostwolf. Mark Diamond, a world-renowned photographer, was enlisted early-on by Hoagland to document in digital media the contnuing story of "the Circle"; his evocative 360-degree panoramas and individual stills have provided some of the more moving coverage. David Haylock, Director of VisionEarth Society, an award winning film producer, commited to the preservation and documentation of this Site- created and directs "Save The Circle.org" to continue the fight. And Kynthia, known for her pioneering work in extraterrestrial archeology with her stunning Mars Face Sculpture, is the Art Director of the Save the Circle campaign, building the webstite, creating the logo, and the educational PR materials.
"Save
The
Circle.org"
is
working
closely
not
only
with
the
Mayor's
office
of
Miami-Dade
County
in
its
continuing
efforts
to
Save
The
Circle,
but
private
research
and
historical
organizations
in
the
Miami
area
as
well.
These
include
the
Dade-Hetritage
Trust,
the
largest
"preservationist"
membership
organization
in
Miami-Dade
County;
the
Archaelogical
Society
of
Southern
Florida,
a
long-standing
membership
scientific
research
organization;
and
the
non-profit
Archaeological
and
Historical
Conservancy,
now
headed
by
Bob
Carr,
the
senior
scientist
who
formerly
directed
all
investigation
to
date
of
the
Miami
Circle
for
Miami-Dade
County.
Half
the
monies
raised
by
"Save
The
Circle.org"
go
directly
to
the
Miami-Dade
County,
to
be
added
to
the
Fund
set
up
for
ultimately
buying
the
Miami
Circle.
The
other
half
will
go
to
vital
documentation
and
further
scientific
investigation
of
this
entire
process,
in
Migeul
Bretos
words
"...
far-more
interesting
history
than
anyone
dared
imagine!"
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