Archaeological Institute of America – South FL Chapter

Welcome to the South Florida Chapter of the
Archaeological Institute of America

The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America's oldest and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology. The Institute is a nonprofit group founded in 1879 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1906. Today, the AIA has nearly 210,000 Members and more than 100 Local Societies in the United States, Canada, and overseas. AIA South Florida is one of four chapters in the state of Florida. Our members include professional archaeologists, corresponding members, students, and enthusiasts, all united by a shared passion for archaeology and its role in furthering human knowledge.

Digging in Circles:
Miami’s Prehistoric Legacy

Robert S. Carr

Saturday 3 PM, February 21, 2026
The Palm Beach Museum of Natural History
10300 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 172, Wellington FL 33414

Archaeological excavations at Brickell Point in 1998 uncovered a circle of postholes and cut basins into the limestone bedrock measuring 11.2 meters in diameter. Within the floor of the feature were the skeleton of a shark, the cranium of a bottle-nosed dolphin, and the shell of a sea turtle – all aligned in an east – west axis. Artifacts included numerous non-local materials such as basaltic celts from the Appalachian Mountains, copper from the Mid-West, galena, and other exotic artifacts.

Since that discovery twelve other circles have been uncovered at the mouth of the Miami River. Radiocarbon dates of AD 200-700 indicate that this complex was a major town and trade center 1500 years before the creation of the City of Miami. The evidence of thousands of postholes indicates likely elevated structures paralleling the river. Other postholes may have been supports for extensive fishing nets stretched for mending and to dry. These remains are associated with the Tequesta who, like the Calusa, were a stratified society that did not practice agriculture, and like the people of the Northwest, created a complex society based on maritime resources. The results of excavations at the mouth of the Miami River from 1980 to present provide a view of a previously little known site complex that is the southernmost prehistoric trade center in the United States.

Bob Carr was Dade County’s first archaeologist, later historic preservation director, and held the position at a time when redevelopment efforts unearthed dozens of archaeological sites, including the Miami Circle, found in 1998.

If you would like to become a member of AIA South Florida, or just want to be notified about upcoming meetings, please send us an email through the Museum's Contact page. Not a member yet? Come join us for the 2017-18 lecture series as our guest, you are welcome!