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Time running low to save Miami's Indian site
By DAVID ADAMS © St. Petersburg Times, published February 15, 1999 MIAMI -- Let's face it, archaeology is not what made this city famous. But that could be changing now that scientists have announced the discovery of a unique archaeological treasure in the heart of Miami's downtown skyscrapers, dating back possibly 2,000 years. Suddenly the city has become the focus of national and international scientific attention. Could it be that Miami had found its roots -- an American Indian Stonehenge, perhaps? But this is Miami. Only weeks after scientists unveiled the discovery -- a 38-foot-wide stone circle, believed to be a sacred site carved by the Tequesta Indians -- bulldozers are poised to erase it from the map. That's because "the Miami Circle" sits on private land slated to become the latest addition to the downtown skyline in the shape of a luxury twin-tower condominium. Local officials are now squabbling over whether it should be preserved, and if so, how. The city recently issued a building permit to the developer who owns the land, arguing it had no legal means to block or delay construction. As the debate intensifies, the circle has exposed fundamental flaws in federal and state legislation protecting historic sites. But in a city where political and economic expedience normally win out, something unusual is happening. For once, politicians and developers find themselves facing a stiff challenge from those who would preserve the city's cultural heritage. In a rare display of civic pride, Miami residents, led by a local archaeologist, are rallying to save the circle in a nail-biting race against time. A petition is circulating in the city, and candlelight vigils have been held at the site by protesters carrying "Save the Circle" signs. Local schoolchildren turned up at a City Commission meeting last week to musically voice their feelings. "There's a lot of things in downtown Miami," they sang. "But there's only one Tequesta Circle in the whole wide world." And on Wednesday night, more than 300 people packed a University of Miami lecture hall to hear the chief archaeologist working on the site, Robert Carr, explain its significance. "This discovery is unique in Florida and possibly all of North America ... since it is currently the only known surviving example of a Tequesta ceremonial structure," he said. Although no carbon dating has been conducted on the site, preliminary studies suggest that it could have been constructed as early as 2,000 years ago. Thousands of animal remains and shards of pottery suggest a permanent population dating back 500-800 years ago. The site is a logical place for human settlement: It's at the mouth of the Miami River, the main waterway connecting the Everglades with the sea. The mysterious formation consists of stone carvings and post holes that link to form a perfect circle, apparently based on geometric calculations. Archaeologists speculate the circle could have been used to measure time or for religious purposes. In some deeper holes they have found the remains of a 5-foot shark and a sea turtle, possibly evidence of ceremonial sacrifices. "The circle is very real. There's no doubt that there was some astronomical purpose," Carr said. As news of the discovery has made its way onto the Internet (http://www.accesspro.net/dig) the archaeologists have been overwhelmed with support from around the country and abroad. Important groups have joined the campaign, including the influential Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex, based in Washington, D.C. "Someone has to do something," said Dr. William Sturtevant, curator of ethnology at the Smithsonian's Department of Anthropology, who visited the site last month. "There's very little archaeological evidence of the Tequestas. This looks like the last opportunity to get cultural details about them." The Tequestas first came into contact with European colonizers in 1513, when the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon landed in South Florida. Numbering only a few thousand, they died off a couple of centuries later, victims of war and disease. When the Spanish left in 1763, the last of the Tequestas went with them. It wasn't until late last century that Miami began to be built and all evidence of the Tequestas was paved over with modern construction. The circle had been hidden from view for nearly 50 years by another apartment building, which was demolished last year to make way for the new development. Ironically, Miami prides itself on a 1981 ordinance that created a county Historic Preservation Division, which requires all new construction to undertake an archaeological survey prior to construction. When any material or structures of historical interest are found, the division rescues them before heavy construction begins. "A lot of people are surprised when they find out that a city like Miami has a preservation division," said Carr, the archaeologist, who heads the small unit. "Our program of protecting sites is one of the best in the U.S. The discovery of this site is an example of its success." As well as its weakness. The ordinance makes no provision for the cancellation of development permits in the case of a major discovery such as the circle. Under Florida law, construction can be halted only if human remains are uncovered. Although Carr and others believe there are possibly as many as three Indian burial grounds in the vicinity of the circle, they remain at the mercy of the developer. Apparently aware of this, the developer has restricted digging to only a 50-square-foot patch where the new building's foundations are to be laid. "There is a very basic factor involved here -- money," said John Gifford, a fellow archaeologist at the University of Miami. "The developer has played by all the rules, and he is very, very upset that a spanner has been thrown into the works. He'd like to get that puppy under as much concrete as possible, as soon as possible." The developer, Michael Baumann, has proposed excavating and moving the circle to a popular botanical garden nearby. His plan was adopted last week by Miami Mayor Joe Carollo, only to be shot down by preservationists. "You can't cut it out and move it," said Jonathan Ullman of the Sierra Club. "They came here, to where the river meets the bay. To move it now would be disrespectful to Native Americans, to all Americans and to the world," he said. With the circle in the spotlight, other politicians have joined the fray. Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas announced his determination last week to find local, state and national funding to save the circle. "I find it untenable that anyone would suggest that we excise a newly discovered piece of our community's history without fully exploring all options to save it," he said in a speech to the Miami Art Museum. But buying back the property could cost more than $100-million, and time is running out. Baumann is losing patience with the city, and last week he hired a stone mason to begin work excavating the site. According to his relocation plan, he could begin digging up the circle as early as today, in preparation for moving it.
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