Parkland in Broward County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Margate Blount Archaeological Site
Side 1
The Margate Blount Site was known as early as 1940. Parkland Founder Bruce Blount observed what appeared to be a wooden crypt filled with skeletal remains when in 1959 a bulldozer struck the mound and scattered bones. The remains were determined to be very old, so archaeologists began to survey the site and found multiple artifacts. From 1959 to 1961, the Broward County Archaeological Society conducted excavations led by Wilma Williams, who named the site. In 1986, Gypsy Graves led additional studies of the site. Coral Ridge Properties purchased the site in 1989 with the intent to develop it. They hired Professor Wilburn “Sonny” Cockrell to assess the site in 1990 and 2000. He tentatively dated the site from 500 BCE to 500 CE, but also suggested a wider range from 1500 BCE to 800 CE. Cockrell stated, “This site is certainly a significant site in terms of regional significance and would probably qualify to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and such would be significant at that level as well.” A 2002 survey of the site by Robert S. Carr led to its protection and designation in 2006 as a conservation site in partnership with the City of Parkland, Broward County, and the State of Florida.
Side 2
This site provides important information about the lifeways and mortuary practices of the Tequesta, a Native American tribe that occupied the southeastern Atlantic coast of Florida. The site consists of both a habitation area and burial mound. In the course of several archaeological digs, multiple artifacts were found including over 4,000 pottery shards, 108 shell tools, 113 bone artifacts, and skeletal remains with wooden burial implements. Excavations also uncovered midden materials, which gave insight into the food sources of the inhabitants. The bone artifacts found consisted of drilled shark vertebrae and teeth, bone points and knives, beads, and a drilled alligator and human tooth. Rock pendants were also found, including three that were not of local stone origin, suggesting trade with and travel to other places. A rare turtle effigy pendant and other wooden artifacts make it an extremely significant site. The pottery found is important for dating purposes and supports a dating range from the 500 BCE to 750 CE, though some pieces represent a more recent historic component dating to the late 17th or early 18th century.
A Florida Heritage Site
Erected 2021 by The City of Parkland, Parkland Historical Society, and the Florida Departement of State. (Marker Number F-1184.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1940.
Location. 26° 19.2′ N, 80° 16.41′ W. Marker is in Parkland, Florida, in Broward County. Marker is on Northwest Trails End, 0.1 miles west of Pine Island Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11051 Trails End, Pompano Beach FL 33076, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Holmberg Road and its Namesake (approx. 1.4 miles away); The Parkland Library (approx. 1˝ miles away); Liberty Park: The Park the People Built (approx. 1.7 miles away); Liberty Park (approx. 1.7 miles away); Statue of Liberty (approx. 1.7 miles away); Coral Springs Covered Bridge (approx. 2.7 miles away); “Fire Works” in the 1970s (approx. 3.2 miles away); Museum of Coral Springs History (approx. 3.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Parkland.
Also see . . . Margate Blount Site - Parkland. (Submitted on June 30, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 45 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 30, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.