Photo Credit: Courtesy of Miami-Dade Park and Recreation Department
Five thousand years of history were discovered in Miami, Fla., when archaeologists unearthed a Native American site once occupied by the Tequesta Indians in 3,000 BC.
The Miami-Dade Park and Recreation Department named the newly developed 2.5-acre site Chittohatchee Park at Honey Hill. “Chittohatchee” is the translation of the Muskogee language phrase, “Cetto Hvcce,” which means “Snake Creek.” During the naming process, the Seminole Tribe of Florida--whose history includes a settlement on the site--was consulted, and tribe members approved the name. The park’s opening ceremony included a Native American blessing of the land.
“The site is one of the most important sites in Miami-Dade County,” says Jeff Ransom, county archaeologist. “It’s the first of its kind.”