A STONE circle that has been dubbed “Miami’s Stonehenge” may be hacked out of
the ground to make way for an office tower block. As New Scientist went
to press, archaeologists were scrambling to unearth details of the structure
before construction workers moved in.
The 13-metre diameter circle is carved into limestone bedrock, rather than
built of standing stones. Its existence is a puzzle, as the hunter-gatherers who
originally inhabited southeast North America left no other known monuments.
“This find is unique,” says John Gifford of the University of Miami. Some
archaeologists suggest that, like Stonehenge, the circle served as a
As long as 2000 years ago, the site was inhabited by Tequesta Indians, who
died out in the 18th century because of disease and warfare brought about by
contact with European settlers. The circle dates from between 1200 and 1400 AD,
according to estimates based on pottery found at the dig.
The carved circle contains dozens of holes, presumably for posts that
supported a wooden structure. An eye-shaped symbol is carved at the east of the
circle, and other markings seem to line up with the other cardinal points of the
compass. The bodies of a shark and a sea turtle were buried in the circle, and
two stone axes made of basalt, which is not available locally, have also been
“My impression is that this is probably a council house or a temple,” says
Robert Carr, director of the Miami-Dade Historic Preservation Division of the
Florida state government, and the archaeologist in charge of the dig. The
placement of the animals and the stone axes suggests that the site was
considered sacred, he says.
Gifford argues that the circle could have served as a calendar, with the Sun
lining up with various posts as the seasons changed. If so, the site is
especially unusual. Although there are many such structures in Central America,
and even a few in North America, they were all built by settled agricultural
people such as the Maya. Gifford says it would be surprising to find
hunter-gatherers building such a sophisticated structure.
Carr doubts this interpretation. It’s not clear if any of the post holes line
up precisely with the Sun at the change of seasons, he says. “When you have
dozens of post holes, it might be a little too easy to find the ones you
Solving the mysteries that surround the site will take time. But that’s
exactly what the archaeologists don’t have. They have only been digging since
August, and completing the excavation to their satisfaction could take several
years. But Michael Baumann, the site’s owner, has given them only until the end
of the month to complete their work. He wants the archaeologists to cut the
circle out of the bedrock and move it to a museum.
Archaeologists say this would hamper their studies. “It will lose a lot of
context,” says Carr. He is now working with local politicians with the aim of
forcing a delay.