WRE News: City Leaders Recommend Preserving Miami River Site After Discovering Artifacts

Miami, FL – July 13, 2023 – Miami city leaders are considering the preservation of a prehistoric indigenous settlement recently discovered near the mouth of the Miami River.

The property at 444 Brickell Avenue, which is believed to contain significant materials dating back thousands of years, may receive legal protection as an archaeological site. The decision by the city’s historic preservation board would grant the city authority over the development and treatment of archaeological elements on the property, which is part of a larger redevelopment project by  Related Group.

Although the board is unlikely to block residential development on the property, they may require Related to preserve and provide public access to some of the site’s findings, including artifacts, pottery shards, and evidence of a 2,500-year-old Tequesta Indian village. Some spear points found at the site date back 7,000 years, indicating continuous occupation since the Late Archaic period.

The overall Related site represents only a portion of a larger Tequesta town that extended to both banks of the Miami River, with the adjacent Miami Circle National Historic Landmark historically serving as the foundation for a significant ceremonial structure.