INTEGRATED SPATIAL. TECHNOLOGIES: HIGH DEFINITION DOCUMENTATION OF THE MIAMI CIRCLE AND ROYAL PALM CIRCLES Lori COLLINS! AND TRAVIS DOERING?, WITH ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY BY ROBERT S. CARR? Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., SOC 107, Tampa, FL 33620-8100 'E-mail: Icollins@cas.usf edu; *E-mail: tdoering@mail.usf.edu 4Archaeological and Historical Conservancy, Inc., Davie Professional Plaza, 4800 Davie Rd., Suite 107, Davie, FL 33314 E-mail: archigel@bellsouth.net The Miami Circle represents the most complete remains to be identified archaeologically in southeastern Florida of what appears to be a Native American architectural structure. As such, it is a rare and possibly unique cultural resource. [Weisman et. al. 2000] The contemporary Miami skyline is defined by the modern skyscrapers that line the entrance to the Miami River represent- ing one end of at least a 2,000 year sequence of human occupa- tion. At the opposite end of this continuum are the prehistoric Miami Circle, a component of the Brickell Point site (8DA12) on the south side of the Miami River, and the Royal Palm Circle, which is part of the Miami Midden #1 (8DA11), on the opposite north bank, also known as the Granada site (Figure 1). Both of these areas represent landscapes that have been repeatedly modified through time, from prehistoric Tequesta occupation to the modem real estate development. Here, where the Biscayne Bay shoreline merges with the Miami River, prehistoric settlements, historic trading posts, military forts, grand hotels, and home sites have been supplanted by modern apartment complexes, commercial buildings, streets, and parking lots (Florida Division of Historical Resources 2004a; Weisman et. al. 2000; Wheeler and Carr 2004), Understanding how this ancient landscape evolved and connects to the present is a significant issue in the ongoing archaeological study of this area. The investigation and resulting interpretations of the prehistoric features are dependent upon accurate and complete data. Through the use of an integrated series of cutting edge spatial technologies, data were acquired with an intensity, speed, and accuracy not previously attainable. The multiple datasets create a baseline for highly precise measurement, analyses and landscape consideration. The databases cumula- tively represent a ‘living document’ that combines the results of previous work with the present surveys and is expandable and upgradeable to include any future investigation of the area. The work described here was performed by a team of archaeologists and technical specialists from the Alliance for Integrated Spatial Technologies at the University of South Florida. The Miami Circle Project was conducted at the request of State Archaeologist Dr. Ryan Wheeler, a lead investigator of the Circle and larger Brickell Point site projects. The Royal Palm Circle project was performed for Robert Carr and the AHCI, as part ofa larger compliance effort conducted to assess the impacts to cultural resources from high rise condominium development on the north side of the river. Both of these projects employed new spatial survey and documentation techniques that featured three-dimensional laser scanning. This article focuses on how these technologies assisted archaeologi- cal research, documentation, analysis, and ultimately benefit public understanding and appreciation of archaeological landscapes. High Definition Documentation Survey (ADDS) High Definition Documentation Survey (HDDS) is a series of integrated spatial recording technologies that provide extremely accurate data more rapidly, efficiently, and effec- tively than is possible with traditional survey techniques (Frei et al. 2000). At the center of HDDS is three-dimensional laser scanning, a technique that produces a stream of precisely measured points of a surface that are then processed into three- dimensional spatial models. This non-contact, non-invasive technique allows the analysis, measurement, and manipulation of objects that range in size from individual handheld artifacts, to architectural structures, to entire terrains and landscapes. Raw data collected by the laser scanning process are referred to as "point clouds." The cloud is produced by millions of individually referenced measurements, each with x,y,z coordinates that are relative to all other collected point loca- tions. Depending on the specific scanning technique used accuracy can range from 50 microns to a millimeter. Visualiza- tion of the data is immediate and in real time as it is collected. Three-dimensional software packages allow further refinement and post processing of the data allows the creation of accurate 3D models. The data can be exported to numerous formats that can be viewed in more traditional 2D software platforms such as ArcGIS and AutoCAD. Data collected from conventional surveys, such as tabular spreadsheet information with artifact provenience, can be integrated with HDDS datasets. Field documentation of excavation areas, mapped features, site plans and grids, and artifact concentrations, can be performed during HDDS. Attribute information can then be linked to the collected spatial locations during post-processing and database develop- ment. A primary objective of the USF team’s efforts was to rapidly and accurately document the sites from a variety of perspectives and to generate a broad analytical baseline. The spatial datasets provide a means for reliable long-term analysis VOL. 59(3-4) THE FLORIDA ANTHROPOLOGIST SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2006