4 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



Island south of Key Marco, one of the northernmost of the 

 Ten Thousand Island Group. A large sand burial mound 

 was excavated and found to be of early post-Columbian 

 Calusa origin. Excavation of the mound disclosed a number 

 of interesting structural features quite unusual in Florida 

 sand mounds. Six feet above the base of the mound a clay 

 floor was encountered which gave evidence of having been 

 the base of a temple structure, as it was surrounded by post- 

 holes and in some instances by the decayed remains of the 

 wooden uprights still in place. This structure had evidently 

 been destroyed and the mound subsequently enlarged by 

 adding 6 feet more of sand above the original substructure. 

 Numerous burials were encountered both above and below 

 the clay floor. A few articles of European manufacture were 

 recovered from the upper level of the mound. As none were 

 recovered from beneath the temple floor, it is possible that 

 the older section of the mound is of pre-Columbian age. 

 Cultural material recovered was interesting though not abun- 

 dant. This included characteristic pottery specimens, pend- 

 ants and ornaments made from fossil shark teeth, shell 

 dishes, cups, celts, and a few stone knives and arrowheads. 

 Articles of European manufacture consisted of glass beads 

 and iron axes of Spanish type. More than 250 burials were 

 removed. 



Following the completion of this work, Mr. Stirling went 

 to the island of Haiti, where, in the company of H. W. 

 Krieger, of the United States National Museum, he investi- 

 gated archeological sites previously worked by Mr. Krieger 

 in various parts of the island. Returning from Haiti to 

 Florida, work was continued in the eastern part of the State, 

 where a number of mounds were investigated between 

 Miami and Cape Canaveral. 



The most interesting discovery of the entire season con- 

 sisted in locating two series of large geometric earthworks on 

 the eastern side of the Everglades, not far from Indiantown. 

 One of these groups is one of the largest and best preserved 

 works of this type now existing on the North American 

 continent. It is hoped that at an early date the bureau will 

 be able to begin excavations on this most interesting site. 



