Did you know several Native sites are buried beneath Miami? 5 quick things to know

Did you know that many of the skyscrapers of Brickell and downtown Miami sit atop the remnants of a civilization that thrived along the Miami River for more than 5,000 years? Recent discoveries at construction sites have renewed calls to preserve what’s left of the native Tequesta people’s legacy.

FULL STORY: Miami’s forgotten ancient past is hiding beneath a Joe & the Juice. Yes, really

Here are key takeaways:

• The Tequesta people lived along the Miami River some 2,000 years ago, with a reach extending from Palm Beach County to the Florida Keys and into the Everglades. Evidence of their village and burial sites now lies entombed beneath developments in downtown and Brickell, including the Met Miami complex that contains a Whole Foods and a Joe & the Juice.
• Veteran archaeologist Bob Carr, who excavated the Miami Circle site, says the city’s ancient history is “everywhere — underneath the streets, under the sidewalks” and that residents are “completely unconscious of this history below our feet.”
• Miami and Miami-Dade County passed the nation’s first comprehensive local archaeological preservation laws in the 1980s, requiring developers to excavate and document finds. But critics say recent discoveries have exposed gaps in the regulations.
• Tina Osceola, historic preservation officer for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, says preserving Native heritage is “a fight to make sure we’re not erased” and teaches “a human value that never should be lost.”
• Developer Related Group has spent tens of millions on excavations at Brickell sites and agreed to exhibit finds along a planned riverwalk, but preservationists say construction is erasing evidence faster than it can be studied or displayed.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.