This archeological dig site in Miami is uncovering 7,000-year-old history 

"Boss, I found an arrowhead!" "No, you didn't."

A building houses a department store in Bologna, where the ground floor has a sturdy see-through floor where excavations of an earlier culture can be seen. I think the building also includes access to the archeological site for archeologists. It seems to me that the developers in Miami when they start building, could preserve some of the sites in that way, and maybe have it as a museum on the ground level that the public can visit once the building is open. Just a thought.

My great great grandmother used to live and hid in a mud hut in Florida’s Everglades in the late 1800’s. Her people had been there for generations. I’m certain other developers have overlooked similar findings.

Same thing happened in the UK when building the HS2 line. They found hundreds of Anglo-Saxon burials, with weapons, jewellery and pottery in the graves. They found the remains of Roman houses and roads and lost medieval villages and churches. They excavated an entire 18-19th century graveyard in central London, where they discovered the coffin, with its brass plate still attached, of Mathew Flinders. He was a Royal Navy officer that circumnavigated Australia. Anything that can't be removed will be documented and built over. The treasure trove of goods they recovered was excellent.

Archeological investigation should always come first, the contractors can wait! This dig shows an indigenous people from 7,000 years ago. Our history books contain very few details of past civilizations and most are hidden so our history looks perfect according to those in power.

Oh yeah... another high-rise building. Just what the world needed.

Sounds like a very significant find! It’s also important to remember that ocean levels were 200 feet lower during the ice age. That puts the site much further from the ocean than today’s shoreline.

I’ve often heard it was fairly common for construction bosses to toss bones and things aside when they were found, because having to call in archaeologists and historical societies slows down the work for weeks at a time and I can imagine how that would mean many workers end up not getting paid, so the bosses just push along like nothing was there to meet deadlines and keep everybody paid.

There is a viking site discovered in Dublin in a similar fashion. It has been used as an educational resource and tour venue and research continues.

I grew up in Miami during the 1950's thru to late 60's and the developers almost without fail bulldozed through historic sites with little government regulatory pushback except for a very few sites like Fort Dallas, still remember important sites being given little notice of their historic importance until years after the ultimate demise when it's to late learn their place in a historic content.

Leave the space below open and available to archeologists and eventually tourists. The developers can build their building several stories above the dig site, the underside can have observation balconies and also light up the dig site. The building's main business can go on whilst discoveries are being made. Yeah it would be an architectural challenge but I believe it would be worth the effort.

Money vs History.

No more High Rises Please

I hope they can examine the artifacts and take the time they need. Understanding the history (right under our feet in this case) is more important than another building.

Should preserve the site and open a museum.

One often thinks of North America as devoid of archaeological significance, I mean there are very few grand ancient ruins or remains of cities and civilisations compared to South America let alone Europe and Asia, I've never found out the reason for this and find it strange , so to find a 7000 year old site in Florida of all places is like hitting an archaeological jackpot.

I know some developers overlook certain things like arrowheads and bones because it can cause a huge delay, but when something so significant is found its a shame when they are covered up

I can't believe the world we live in, where a piece of paper, iis more important than learning about ancient history and perhaps finding extremely valuable artifacts.

The Old World Florida channel on YT is full of amazing esoteric history of Florida

In London, roman forts have been found in the city of London, when developers have been digging out the foundations for some of the skyscrapers. The developers, in conjunction with the British government change their plans and managed to incorporate the roman ruins into the new building. You can visit these sites today. They have managed to build these sites with a museum underneath these buildings, which are free to the public to visit. Everyone says the USA I a young country without history. Well obviously that is not the case and every effort should be made to preserve what history you have. It would be a scandal if developers were allowed to trash this, purely for profit.

I find it really hard to believe that the mouth of the river is in the same place it was 7,000 years ago.

At the very exact time, in Columbus, Ohio there an archeological "dig" being done on a site, in a historic neighborhood. The developers are poised to build a 32 story, mega condominium and retail complex. But beneath the ground is a burial site, consisting of the earliest citizens of Columbus, Ohio. ( So not as old as the site in Miami, but significant to the current inhabitants of Columbus.) This grave site was built in the late 1700s to early 1800s. Columbus was settled in 1804. Columbus, has for the last 40 years, been trying to preserve as many historic sites, as are known about. Columbus is the home to the state of Ohio's historic museum, which has been tasked with saving all historic sites all over Ohio. Many which are older burial sites related to Native or Indigenous peoples who occupied the lands all over the region. Similarly, tents are set up all around the land, which had been a large parking lot. Archeologists are digging and sifting the soil daily, weather permitting. This time of year, it is still winter, and rain and snow, are expected to continue to fall until mid May. The Columbus burial site has been well known about since the 1950s. However back then, there little or no interest in seeing what was under the ground. Discoveries of human bones, are being documented, and will eventually be re-buried in a graveyard south of the city. Students of archeology will be conducting DNA testing of the remains, to try establish the identity of the people buried there.

In England they preserve the ancient sites by making them the basement of the new structure and keep working on them. Some become museums, in themselves. Way to enhance value of building.

This kind of archaeological site is of importance not just to Miami and Florida, but to the world, and should be studied properly.

Man said corporate citizens...because the u.s. is a corporation and we are citizens of a corporation, not a country.

As someone who labored then surveyed in the dirt for over 20 years I can tell you that history, including pottery, wood, stone, and other artifacts of archeological significance exists almost everywhere. I have dug in the middle of forests and found pottery. I have dug under original buildings to find stone foundation walls. My uncle Larry dug under downtown salt lake city and found entire ancient rooms. I am not trying to downplay the historical significance of this sight but only point out that we live and build amongst the rubble of many ancient civilizations. While we must be diligent to preserve and learn what we can, we must also live, build and be free to construct civilizations of our own. It's a balance.

Fascinating. They should definitely preserve those finds somehow.

If that tiny portion have such sites, why wouldn't the entire Miami area have them too? The entire United States are filled with history that if the artifacts, skelletons of giants, lost technology, stories and traditions passed down generations are to be taken seriously, our current understanding of antropology would have to be rewritten. Those things should be studies and preserved, but have equal compensation to the current investors of the property to be fair.

Love archeology ❤

The two people unearthed in the Bradenton area inside a shell mound were carbon dated to be 7000 years old. DNA tested to be caucasian. Who knew?

incredible, i've stayed at a hotel adjacent to that site and never would have imagined.

Anywhere along Florida's coast or rivers you will find artifacts, and evidence of settlements. I've been a native Floridian my entire life, and can say for certain that along any coastline, or waterway, if you know what your looking for, a person can find artifacts and evidence of ancient cultures within a few hours at most. Usually it doesn't take more than about half an hour. About 40 miles north of me there is a place on a small river that Texas A+M's archeology dept. has been diving for the last several years, and they claim they have evidence that dates the site back 14,000 years. There is a few videos they made here on RU-vid somewhere, but I can't remember what they are named.

This is an amazing find for the history of the region. I hope that the community can be rallied to preserve and study this site.

It’s all always about $$$$ no matter what the subject is🤦🏻‍♀️

Beautiful Advanced Native Civilization.... THANK YOUUUU 💞 ♥️

I’m with you on saving this site best they can it’s important to have physical history. And it should be respected. Build around it or incorporate it like other cities have done. I mean if they must have this piece of land and I get the want to live right there. I’ve been to Miami and that part of the city, it’s rather nice. However this historical find isn’t something one comes across often. And it could Be important. Hope they can work together on a good solution for this

This could be an amazing opportunity for some brilliant creative design and construction of the building mounted over the site. It would be more expensive and trickier so the State should offset the extra expense...Ultimately the site would be a ground-floor museum.

Amazing find!

Every new discovery re-writes our history and there are so many people in power that don't want it changed.

This was an incredible discovery. Right at the Southern mouth of the river. The huge Indian mounds of burials & quahog (now extinct) shells were bulldozed to make Dixie Highway so the Flagler RR could be built from West Palm Beach. I've located many of the mounds in S. Florida. I can always tell when I'm on a burial mound. An overwhelming feeling of get off comes over me. Most are midden (kitchen waste) mounds. I don't tell people about those. From the keys to Dade the Tequesta, Further north in Boca the Jeaga, then the big tribe the Ais aka Jece aka Ays on Prang Island and near a Spanish Galleon silver fleet wreck site in 1715. 1 of 11 that year. 🐥

"Pave a paradise, and put up a parking lot". 🎵

Sooooo freaking AWESOME!!

Good reporting!

1st floor of building should be a museum.

Have to wonder how much was destroyed or lost from previous building Downtown. It's getting way to crowded here! Been here since 1970! I've seen it when we had farming just outside our neighborhood and pine trees as far as you could see! I miss how it used to be!

So sad that this history is being lost to corporate greed. This history is soooooo important!

What a beautiful area!

This is another example that the United States was built ignoring the cultures that existed before the anglos arrival, if they came across traces of previous civilizations in

now they can say their condo is built on an ancient burial ground

America needs a "Time Team". This site is amazing. Thanks so much for posting.

This is mind blowing 🤯

They should make observation platforms of the dig, where people are able to talk with archeology students about some of the newest things being found. Maybe this way, having the Dig is more profitable or at least, net positive in the meantime.

The Governor of the State needs to step in and build up the archeological site like that of Egypt and other countries. If you build it, the tourists will come. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Glorious!!

Thanks!

Just imagine how much of such cites is lost in all U.S. last 200 years. 😓

This site is a treasure and should be treated as such

This is amazing!!! What a find!!!! Exciting news!!! Imagine what we will learn!!! This man is correct, this should be preserved!! Would it possible to build elevated and not a high rise??? How about naming this site after the builder???? They would go down in history...

It's such a contrast of native and natural history with modern metropolitan skyscrapers. Very interesting.

That close to sea level, may as well build on stilts over the site and let the dig continue. It'll be necessary soon enough.

How does the City of Miami and the State of Florida allow the development of this site that should be designated a world historical site ?

This is fantastic.

Im glad we’re learning about the ancient culture of Miami and the Tequetsa tribe. Can’t believe they put a septic tank there

Isn't Miami named after the Miami tribe. It was a native American tribe that lived there and when Spain settled Miami; they moved all the MIami tribe up north.

They shouldn't be allowed to build there at all! It looks so nice open and should be preserved!

Heart breaking..

share this on social media/ maybe the construction can wait till artifacts are found and an investigation of the site is done. it's worth a try and only takes a minute.

I've never been to Miami and have no plans ever to go. There's absolutely nothing left there to see, anyway. Nothing but buildings and concrete. Might as well be Dubai. Very sad to have such ancient history in North America right there to study but society places more value on The Money.

Its ridiculous the corruption down here in Miami just let's the rich do whatever they want. I am telling everyone about this since I heard about it only a couple of weeks ago, when this should be a discovery that should have been documented and celebrated as a find completely changing the way we thought Miami was inhabited. This city is completely different from when I was a kid and has only changed for the worse.

It would be interesting if archaeologists and architects would work together and there is a massive arch built over the site, with museum built on the top of the arch, with additional floors for whatever this was intended to be built. Yes, it could be an extra expense, but could bring more money to developer in long run as he would own this archeological ground, that would bring people from all around the world to see

Fascinating stuff

Maybe compromise somehow. Engineer a way to build over the site at an elevated platform that rises above the dig site. It would be more expensive, but it would preserve the dig site while allowing the developer to build above.

The whole area was built over. Now they are delaying this build. There probably is not much left given the previous construction in that area over decades.

7000 years is amazing Blow my mind

It would be nice to show some of the artifacts they have found there.

This rewrites our history books.

Love visiting archaeological sites but only if there is something to see. Even hardly visited and little known sites in Mexico offer so much more. Remember when the Miami Circle was left abandoned for just a couple of weeks, the grass and weeds covered everything.

Wow!!!

Is there any way to build up and around the dig where the owners have their building but the ground floor remains an archeological dig?

Interesting history in this region. As long ago , there are still some that do not want that history known real well.

The city should propose a bond to pay the developer to properly study the site. Put it up to a vote and let the citizens decide. That will determine if society wants to know more about this ancient civilization or if they want the immediate revenue of another high rise complex.

i hope it works out for you. rthe worlds history of its people through time is important.

Are those foundations or walls? Are those stones and if so what material and what's the estimation of their weight?

Corporate citizens? Yeah right.

Shame that Miami doesn't care about its own history. Building more ugly high rises smh

what are the block with numbers on?

Ask the property managers at Brickell City Centre about the archeological site that was found there when they broke ground - and then were supposed to preserve and build around it so that the public could view it. Then watch the look of panic run across their faces.

This is fascinating. I had no idea. It's sad to see it all covered back up. I know some has to be, but there should be some balance. It would be nice to see the analysis funded to completion.

Such a shame that the people go for profit than history…this can be sorted out by building a makeshift museum inside the development site and make it a place of significant importance…it can be a feature of this place and could draw thousands of people to the place…hopefully they could get into an agreement with this…such a great find

One solution I have seeen in Germany and Cancun is to build over the dig, where it remains accessible through the basement.

Why couldn't they make the ground floor a public museum with see-through floors for people to look at the archeological building foundations and view the artifacts. An admission fee could even fund research into researching it further.

Pave the planet

Why can't they elevate the building so that the archeologists can continue at the right pace?

I've stayed in amazing high rises with Roman structures underneath. You can build just 1 floor above this and have a cool attraction underneath

I was in construction for 40 years, anytime we found an arrow head or a bone, we would throw it in the trash. We found an old skull once, we dug a hole with the excavator, threw it in the bottom and crushed it. Not holding up living people for dead ones.

They didn’t show one little piece of material? Let’s see some example of of the stuff they want to preserve.

The developers don't even have to sacrifice their building, just devote part of the bottom floor to being an archeological dig site/museum. It works as a tourist attraction, you don't dig up problems - you dig up opportunities!

I think it’s really interesting. I was just watching a video by Dutch-sence I believe. Pointing out some very interesting archaeological sites not too far from there out in the Keys

How exciting but also frustrating.

No NYC please!