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    The two dozen or more illustrations here are taken of a plaster, block-diagram style model at a scale of 1:30, of the Miami Circle archeological site (8/DA/12) in downtown Miami, FL. The Circle was discovered and exposed by excavation during the latter half of 1998 and early part of 1999. It is attributed to the Tequesta and possibly other early prehistoric inhabitants, and a date of 2000 ybp has been associated with it.

     The “Circle” at this location is a ring of basins, about 26 in all, with an overall diameter of approximately 38 ft. They had presumptively been percusively pecked and otherwise incised into the basal Miami Oolitic limestone at this spot. Their actual function (still) remains unknown, but a hypothesis that they are analogous to post holes in soil layers on archeological sites is not unreasonable.

     As one of the original excavating team here, I was much interested in the site and what we determined (and even moreso perhaps, in what we did not determine) about it. In a field marked by acrimony (archaeology), views about the “Circle” and its origin and meaning were probably more contentious than usual - and ultimately involved politicians, developers, activists, Native Persons, some scientists, and indeed many people from all walks in life. Partly because of this, and partly from other concerns, the site was closed and filled in. Its future, to the best of my knowledge at this date (7/03/01) is yet undecided.

     For the model, I cast a 2x2 ft. block of Plaster of Paris about 6 in. thick. Upon the flat surface of this when set, I projected an aerial view of the “Circle” near the closing days of the dig. This placed every one of the more than 700 “solution pits,” (so called), cavities, basins, earth banks and other features in proper “map location” and relation. It remained then to hand carve the many individual cavities into the block using woodcarvers skews, chisels, a power drill and other tools. The surrounding elevated original land surface was then built up with additional plaster, paper mache’, and other materials. The model was then painted with acrylics, as near to original colors as personal recall and existing color photos would permit. Elevations for the site were ignored as not significant on the scale selected (it was also inordinately difficult to come by “official” data both onsite and later after the dig closed). The model surface as that of the Circle itself, slopes slightly up to the south.