WHEELER

PUMICE ARTIFACTS FROM THE MIAMI CIRCLE 199

 

 

 

 

B<1g

 

1-10g

11-209
H121-30g
31-409

 

 

No. of clasts

Hi41-50g
151-60
6161-709

 

 

 

B>70g

 

21-309 31-40g

 

41-509

Figure 6. Histogram showing weight distribution of pumice clasts.

State of Florida Investigations

Pumice artifacts were recovered from 19 proveniences
associated with the State of Florida investigation of the Miami
Circle at Brickell Point site (83DA12). Thirty-seven pieces
representing 27 clasts were found. Proveniences include
excavations around a septic tank, located 17 m west of the
Miami Circle feature, and features in the N34 or “Valley of the
Holes” area. The presence of pumice artifacts in these areas
helps confirm that this material is distributed across the
property. Vertical distribution is similar to that noted for the
Miami Circle excavation units. One meter square units
excavated adjacent to a septic tank produced 9 pumice clasts
from multiple levels. Within the N34 or “Valley of the Holes”
area 18 pumice clasts were recovered from midden deposits
within 10 of the holes or basins carved into the limestone
bedrock

Other Site Areas

Three clasts of pumice were recovered from the University
of Houston fieldschool in 2000, located between the Miami
Circle feature and the N34 or “Valley of the Holes” area. Other
proveniences across the site include Trench 1, one of the
demolition trenches dug to remove the footings of the buildings
comprising the Brickell Point Apartments.

SDA9S

Salvage excavations on the Sheraton Hotel property

(referred to here as 8DA98), directly to the south of the lot
where the Miami Circle was found, also produced pumice
artifacts. Both lots are components of the larger Brickell Point
site, which extended west and south of the point where the
Miami River meets Biscayne Bay. Bob Carr directed work at
the Sheraton component in 1980-1981 prior to the construction
of the hotel (initially a Holiday Inn) (Carr and Ricisak
2000:266-267). Excavations included a north-south trench and
other tests, which uncovered holes cut into the limestone,
similar to those that make up the Miami Circle feature. Six
pumice artifacts recovered during the excavations are curated
at the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. These artifacts
help confirm that the deposits at the Sheraton component are
likely of similar age and nature as those encountered at the
Miami Circle component.

Discussion
Technological Place of Pumice Artifacts

John Goggin (n.d.:615-616) suggests that the flat surfaces
and facets observed on some pumice artifacts are produced by
grinding and smoothing tasks related to woodworking. Some
of the additional modified pumice artifacts, like those with cup-
shaped surfaces, also were likely used in polishing wood. A
role in woodworking makes sense, since many of the shell
artifact forms and some of the bone artifact types identified
from the Miami Circle site are best described as woodworking
tools (Wheeler 2004a, 2004b). Direct evidence of a sophisti-
cated tradition of woodworking is found at the Key Marco site,