 A photo of Turtle Mound in 1915 | |
  Location within Florida today | |
| Location | New Smyrna Beach,Volusia County, Florida, US |
|---|---|
| Region | Volusia County, Florida |
| Coordinates | 28°55′51″N80°49′37″W / 28.93083°N 80.82694°W /28.93083; -80.82694 |
| History | |
| Founded | 1000 BCE |
| Abandoned | 1400 CE |
| Cultures | St. Johns culture |
| Site notes | |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | shell mound |
| Responsible body: State of Florida[1] | |
Turtle Mound is a prehistoric archaeological site located 9 miles (14 km) south ofNew Smyrna Beach,Florida,United States, onState Road A1A, between theMosquito Lagoon and theAtlantic Ocean. On September 29, 1970, it was added to theNational Register of Historic Places. Today the site is owned and managed by theNational Park Service as part ofCanaveral National Seashore.
A refuse deposit composed mostly of oyster shells,[3][4] the 2-acre (0.81 ha) mound ranges for over 600 feet (180 m) along the lagoon shoreline and holds over 35,000 cubic yards (27,000 m3) of shells.[5][1] It is the largestshell midden on the mainland United States,[6] with an approximate height of 35–50 feet (11–15 m),[5][1] but no extensive excavations have been made.[a][7] Sparsely vegetated in the early 19th century,[b] it has since been covered by a densemaritime hammock,[3][4] its primary cover being woody.[9]
Along with similar mounds regionally,[10] it is the northernmost outpost of several tropical plant taxa,[5][11] possibly due to its secluded, elevated, seaside location and to heat retention by shells;[12][13][14] a study in 1923 found its flora to be "largely of a tropical character",[12][4] as did repeated surveys that also spotted rare species.[c][14] Migratoryseabirds,raptors, and other avians frequent the site, likely fostering seed dispersal there.[5][15]
Its peak affords the site a panorama for miles, leading a visitor in 1926 to remark that "one has the sensation of standing on top of a mountain". Thestatehouse inEldora and nearbyBethune Beach are observable from its top,[5] along with many other features that set the site apart from other such points in Florida:[16] over 20 mi (32 km) of wild coastline to its south, the lagoon to its west, and the ocean to its east.[5]
The mound, dating to between 800 and 1400,[d][5] contains waste from theTimucua, who caught many reptiles and small mammals here. The Timucua may have used the site as an observatory, for ceremonies, or as a refuge duringhurricanes.[7]The Timucua experienced greater competitive forces for finite resources such as arable land resulting in increased open conflict. This is apparent in some of the material found in the Turtle Mound location where it occupied an important location along the coast. Archaeologists have recently found 1,200-year-old pottery on the site.[citation needed]
Prior to the late 19th century Turtle Mound was estimated to be 75 feet (23 m) high.[17] Visible 7 mi (11 km) seaward, the mound was used as alandmark by mariners,[18] includingSpanish explorers and later navigators.[1] Along with the 12-metre-high (39 ft)Green Mound, Turtle Mound was one of the most visible markers on the Florida east coast before lighthouses were built.[14]
In 1605 Álvaro Mexía noted the site, dubbing itBaradero deSurruque,[e] and observed natives floating their dugout canoes at its foot.[3] In the late 18th century the site was named Mount Belvedere (1769), The Rock (1769), and Mount Tucker (1796).[20] Over time the mound began to take the form of a turtle, giving the feature its name[1]—a toponym first used on a map published inWilliam Bartram'sTravels (1791).[f][3]
Like other mounds,[7] it was slated for use as fill material,[16] but efforts byJohn B. Stetson Jr. and other individuals led to its acquisition by the State of Florida in 1951. A 6-foot (1.8 m) wall to halt erosion was erected in 1964 on its northwest, and a pair of lookouts were added in 1972.[21]
| Scientific name | Common name | Abundance | Habitat | Year first noted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agave vivipara | agave | dominant | beach | c. 1766 |
| Amyris elemifera | torchwood | dominant | exposed slopes | 1921 |
| Ardisia escallonioides | marlberry | dominant | 1921 | |
| Avicennia germinans | black mangrove | occasional | riverside | 1921 |
| Carica papaya | papaya | rare | 1921 | |
| Chiococca alba | snowberry | abundant | 1921 | |
| Cissus trifoliata | marine vine, sorrel vine | abundant | west side | 1971–3 |
| Citrus × aurantium | wild orange | occasional | c. 1766 | |
| Eugenia axillaris | white stopper | dominant | 1921 | |
| Exothea paniculata | inkwood, butterbough | frequent | 1921 | |
| Harrisia fragrans | night-blooming cereus | rare | 1971–3 | |
| Heliotropium angiospermum | scorpion-tail | occasional | riverside | 1971–3 |
| Laguncularia racemosa | white mangrove | rare | riverside | 1921 |
| Mentzelia floridana | poor man's patches | occasional | open spots | 1921 |
| Myrcianthes fragrans | nakedwood | dominant | 1921 | |
| Myrsine floridana | Unknown | frequent | 1971–3 | |
| Ocotea coriacea | lancewood | rare | 1971–3 | |
| Plumbago scandens | leadwort | frequent | 1921 | |
| Psychotria nervosa | wild coffee | frequent | 1921 | |
| Rhizophora mangle | red mangrove | occasional | riverside | 1921 |
| Schoepfia chrysophylloides | whitewood | rare | 1971–3 | |
| Sideroxylon foetidissimum | mastic | rare | 1971–3 | |
| Zanthoxylum fagara | wild lime | dominant | exposed spots near summit | 1971–3 |
| [11][22][23] | ||||
