The Tequesta Indians were a Native American tribe characterized as hunters and gatherers with a very rich cultural history. They were one of the first tribes to settle in South Florida including the present-day Miami area.
In the 1500's, Europeans arrived in Florida and the Tequesta Indians were not happy about this, they did not want these new people taking over their land. The Tequesta Indians and the Spanish eventually made peace and the last of the Tequesta fled to Cuba to escape English slave raids. The Tequesta Indians left many artifacts in the Lewis Landing Park. The artifacts are important because they show how they lived and how they adapted to the environment.
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This shell celt cache was discovered in 2009 by the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy, Inc. Shell celts were used by the Tequesta Indians as woodworking tools to accomplish many goals, some of which were cutting wood and small trees down.
Because these shells were found in a group, they are called a shell celt cache. The fact that they were buried together shows that they were intentionally placed in the ground by the Tequesta Indians for one of two possible reasons. The Tequesta Indians could have been hiding and saving their tools for the future, or burying them as a burial offering although no human remains have been found at this site. These are images of how the shell celt cache was discovered. You can see here that they were discovered in a group and thus are called a shell celt cache.
In addition to the shell celt cache, oyster shells were also discovered in the Lewis Landing Park! In the bottom photo, you can see the oyster shells poking out of the dirt.
Top: Bone pin fragment. Bottom: Bone point. A, B, and C: Perforated vertebrae.
D and E: Perforated shark teeth. |
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