Southern Florida Sites associated with the Tequesta and their Ancestors National Historic Landmark/National Register of Historic Places Theme Study Prepared by: Florida Division of Historical Resources R. A. Gray Building 500 S. Bronough Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 May 2004 Revised, November 2004 NPS Form 10-900-b OMB Approval No. 1024—0018 (Rev. Aug 2002) (Expires Jan. 2005) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form This form is used for documenting multiple property groups relating to one or several historic contexts. See instructions in How to Complete the Multiple Property Documentation Form (National Register Bulletin 16B). Complete each item by entering the requested information. For additional space, use continuation sheets (Form 10-900-a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer to complete all items. __X__ New Submission ____ Amended Submission A. Name of Multiple Property Listing Southern Florida Sites Associated with the Tequesta and their Ancestors B. Associated Historic Contexts (Name each associated historic context, identifying theme, geographical area, and chronological period for each.) Archaic Origins of the Tequesta ca. 10,000-500 B.C. Development of Glades Pottery 500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Settlement Patterns 2500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Plant and Animal Use among the Tequesta 500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Mortuary Practices 500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Earthwork Building 500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Exchange Networks 2500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Tequesta Art and Aesthetics 500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Sociopolitical Development 500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Culture Contact A.D. 1500-A.D. 1763 C. Form Prepared by name/title Ryan J. Wheeler, Ph.D., Chief, Bureau of Archaeological Research organization Florida Division of Historical Resources date May 2004 street & number 500 South Bronough Street telephone 850.245.6300 city or town Tallahassee state FL zip code 32309-0250 D. Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this documentation form meets the National Register documentation standards and sets forth requirements for the listing of related properties consistent with the National Register criteria. This submission meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60 and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. (□ See continuation sheet for additional comments.) ______________________________________________ ____________________ Signature and title of certifying official Date ______________________________________________ State or Federal Agency or Tribal government I hereby certify that this multiple property documentation form has been approved by the National Register as a basis for evaluating related properties for listing in the National Register. _______________________________________________ ___________________ Signature of the Keeper Date of Action USDI/NPS NRHP Multiple Property Documentation Form Southern Florida Sites Associated with the Tequesta and their Ancestors Page 2 Table of Contents for Written Narrative Provide the following information on continuation sheets. Cite the letter and the title before each section of the narrative. Assign page numbers according to the instructions for continuation sheets in How to Complete the Multiple Property Documentation Form (National Register Bulletin 16B). Fill in page numbers for each section in the space below. E. Statement of Historic Contexts (If more than one historic context is documented, present them in sequential order.) Page Numbers Introduction 3 Modern American Indian Perspectives 4 Archeology, History and the Tequesta 5 Archaic Origins of the Tequesta 6 Development of Glades Pottery 8 Settlement Patterns 11 Plant and Animal Use among the Tequesta 15 Mortuary Practices 26 Earthwork Building 30 Exchange Networks 32 Tequesta Art and Aesthetics 34 Sociopolitical Development 36 Culture Contact 37 Summary 41 F. Associated Property Types (Provide description, significance, and registration requirements.) Significance of the Tequesta and their Ancestors 43 NHL Thematic Framework 43 Criteria for the Evaluation of Tequesta and their Ancestors Sites 44 Establishing Significance 45 Levels of Significance 46 Accretionary Middens 46 Knoll sites 49 Burial Mound sites 50 Cemetery sites 52 Temple Mound sites 54 Prehistoric Earthwork sites 56 Constructed Habitation Mound sites 58 Aboriginal Water Course or Canal 59 Significant Sites of the Tequesta and their Ancestors/Potential NHL Sites 64 G. Geographical Data 68 H. Summary of Identification and Evaluation Methods (Discuss the methods used in developing the multiple property listing.) 69 I. Major Bibliographical References (List major written works and primary location of additional documentation: State Historic Preservation Office, other State agency, Federal agency, local government, university, or 71 other, specifying repository.) Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 120 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.0. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section _E_ Page _3_ Southern Florida Sites Associated with the Tequesta and their Ancestors E. HISTORIC CONTEXTS Introduction This NHL theme study, Southern Florida Sites Associated with the Tequesta and their Ancestors, was developed to provide the archeological and historical context for the National Historic Landmark (NHL) nomination of the Miami Circle at Brickell Point site. Discussions among archeologists who worked at the site and the Florida Division of Historical Resources National Register of Historic Places survey and registration staff in mid-2003 led to the conclusion that the Miami Circle site was significant at the national level, but that it would be difficult to nominate the site since existing NHL theme studies did not reflect the unique character of the ancient Tequesta people who once occupied southeastern Florida, their role in the early history of the United States, and the potential contribution of archeological sites in the region to understanding broader patterns of American Indian architecture, exchange, and ceremonialism. Sites of the Tequesta and their ancestors were recognized as regionally and nationally significant for several reasons. The first reason is the association between the Tequesta and the Everglades. Considerable attention has recently been focused on restoration of the Everglades ecosystem, a unique hydrological system found in large portions of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Today, the coastal portions of these counties are dominated by the urban and suburban development of West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami—making it difficult to visualize the estuarine lagoons; narrow, sandy beaches; and streams draining the Everglades marsh that were home to the Tequesta people. Development has pushed westward from the coast, and now the remnants of the Everglades are preserved in three major water conservation areas, the Arthur G. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and Everglades National Park. Unfortunately, recent historical and environmental perspectives on the Everglades have ignored the role of the Tequesta in shaping and controlling the Everglades system (see McCally 1999). Archeological investigation of Everglades tree island communities indicates that the Tequesta may have intentionally contributed to the formation of these islands. Better understanding of tree island formation, and the integral relationship of the Tequesta and the Everglades, may aid in developing restoration strategies. Secondly, some sites of the Tequesta and their ancestors exhibit considerable engineering accomplishments related to the construction of long-distance canoe canals. This accomplishment is equivalent to irrigation canals built by prehistoric cultures in the American Southwest (Busch et al. 1976), raised causeways connecting some Maya sites in Mesoamerica (Coe 1987: 64, 104, 113-114; Sabloff 1989:212), or irrigation canals built by some coastal South American cultures (Moseley 1983:189-190, 234-235), representing a major element of the aquatic adaptation that developed during the Archaic. Archeologists John Griffin (1988:308) and George Luer (1989) also suggest that the construction of these long-distance canoe canals is archeological evidence for social complexity. Thirdly, the Tequesta were one of the first American Indian groups encountered by Ponce de Leon in the early sixteenth century. Some Tequesta sites contain materials associated