SW0146 Archaeologist Uncovers South Florida SemWar Artifacts

The sands of time, nature, and settlement have ravaged the terrain where Soldiers and Seminole battled each other in Florida in the 1800s.

In South Florida, of course, this is true -- but with a twist. In some cases, modern buildings have been constructed atop archaeological sites that had not been previously excavated -- and without disturbing the ground foundation intrusively. That provides the opportunity for archaeological investigation.

For decades, Bob Carr has been Digging Miami, as his new book states. Bob is the director of the not-for-profit Archaeological And Historical Conservancy in Davy, Fla. He has also worked extensively outside of Miami, in the South Florida region at both the Big Cypress Reservation and at the Okeechobee Battlefield. He joins us to discuss how he has teased out the truth from the south Florida soil, what he has found, and why it is important.

 

    

Robert S. "Bob" Carr's latest book is Digging Miami. This book traces the rich 11,000-year human heritage of the Miami area from the time of its first inhabitants through the arrival of European settlers and up to the early twentieth century. This the Seminole presence and the US Army's wartime removal efforts feature prominently in his story. 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 impressive archaeological sites, including the Cutler Site, discovered in 1985, and the Miami Circle, found in 1998. Digging Miami presents a unique anatomy of this fascinating city, dispelling the myth that its history is merely a century old.

   

Bob's work in downtown Miami led to his being featured in cover story for American Archaeology magazine. He has also excavated on islands in the Florida Keys, some as pictured in courtesy image above, featuring Seminole and Miccosukee grave sites. 

Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Fla. 

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