[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 2 (Thursday, January 24, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRAHAM (for himself and Mr. Nelson of Florida):
  S. 1894. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
special resource study to determine the national significance of the 
Miami Circle site in the State of Florida as well as the suitability 
and feasibility of its inclusion in the National Park System as part of 
Biscayne National Park, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, the city of Miami is constantly changing. 
New buildings and facilities are being built daily adding to the 
cosmopolitan and modern flavor of the city. However, while in the 
process of building for the future, Miami has found a piece of its 
past, the Miami Circle.
  Discovered in 1998, the Miami Circle is 38 feet in diameter and has 
been carved into the underlying bedrock. While its true purpose is 
unknown, it is thought that the circle was used to support different 
types of structures. Along with the Circle, myriad other ancient 
artifacts have been found at the site, making it a treasure trove of 
archaeological artifacts and a window into the history of the area. The 
true origin of this site has yet to be determined but it is widely 
believed it was created by the Tequesta Indians.
  This piece of Miami's heritage is also part of Florida's as well as 
the Nation's. It is believed to be the only cut-in-rock prehistoric 
structural footprint ever found in eastern North America. It is and 
will be a valuable tool in understanding America's indigenous peoples, 
their culture, and their technological prowess. In fact, a recent 
discovery of a Tequesta burial grounds not far from the Miami Circle 
has made the Miami Circle an even more significant historical site.
  For these reasons, the site of the Miami Circle needs to be 
preserved. This legislation will set the preservation process in motion 
by authorizing a feasibility study to be conducted to determine if 
Miami Circle should be preserved as part of Biscayne National Park. 
This important piece of America's heritage deserves the same protection 
that other American archaeological treasures enjoy. This study will 
help make that happen.
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