MIAMI, Fla. – The Magic City is plenty huge, but those who explore near the mouth of the Miami River may find a sight dating back to the prehistoric era.
It’s along Brickell Avenue in downtown Miami that visitors can stumble across the Miami Circle, a historic landmark that lives up to its name.
The circle itself is really just a series of holes carved into the ground that span a roughly 38-foot diameter.
According to researchers, the site was first discovered in 1998 during a routine archaeological excavation after an apartment complex covering it was demolished.
In the sediment beneath the demolished buildings, 24 large holes made up the circle, and plenty of artifacts — including human remains, stone axes and shell tools — were dug up in the area.
As strange as the scene may have seemed to some, researchers quickly deduced what the circle could be: the “footprint” from part of a prehistoric settlement.
“During the period of European contact, occupation was concentrated on the north bank of the Miami River, and the village was known as Tequesta,” a research report reads. “The Brickell Point site represents an earlier component of the village, which apparently existed for over 2,000 years at the mouth of the Miami River.”
Strangely enough, though, archaeologists found basaltic celts at the site.
The mystery here lies in the fact that basalt — a volcanic rock — isn’t naturally common in Florida. Instead, researchers believe that these tools were made from materials stemming from present-day Macon, Georgia.
But researchers addressed this conundrum by pointing out that the tools could be evidence of the now-extinct Tequesta people having a trade network with other tribes across the Southeast.
The Miami Circle was eventually bought by the state and dubbed a National Historic Landmark over 10 years later.
However, the site was ultimately reburied in 2003, though over $150,000 of funding was granted to develop the area into what is now the Miami Circle Park.
Nowadays, interested visitors can check out the site for themselves by heading to 401 Brickell Ave. in Miami.
The park has been lined with walking paths and a great view of the nearby channel, making it an excellent choice for those looking to take a quick walk through history.