Bob Carr (archaeologist)
Encyclopedia
Robert Carr (July 5, 1947–Present) is an American archaeologist and the current executive director of The Archaeological and Historical Conservancy, Inc. He specializes in Southeastern archaeology, with particular emphasis on archaeology in Florida
. He has also conducted fieldwork in the Bahamas.
. He is the son of Howard and Frances Carr. His family moved to Florida
in 1952, where his father sought new opportunities in employment during Florida's post-World War II boom. He worked as a sign painter and a construction equipment operator, at which point he brought his family to Rock Harbor in Key Largo in a Miami transit bus which he had bought in an auction and converted into a mobile home. After his family moved to Miami, by age 13 Carr had become interested in archaeology. He began visiting sites at the mouth of the Miami River. Soon after, he joined the archaeology club at the Museum of Science, taught by avocational archaeologist Dan Laxson.
In June 1968, Carr graduated with his associate’s degree from Miami-Dade Junior College in Miami, Florida. From September 1970 through June 1971, he studied at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. In August 1972, Carr graduated with his B.A. in anthropology
from Florida State University
, Tallahassee, Florida. Four years later, in August 1976, he received his M.A. in anthropology from Florida State University.
Fort Tonyn
on the St. Mary's River
. His survey of Lake Okeechobee
in 1974 resulted in the discovery of previously unknown earthworks
and the first state assessment of the Okeechobee Battlefield of the Second Seminole War.
In 1974, Carr began working at the Southeast Center of the National Park Service
. During this time, he helped develop an aerial photographic model for locating sites in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Carr located a previously unrecorded village site at the Pharr Mounds
site near Tupelo, Mississippi
on the Natchez Trace
. He also took part in a survey at Cumberland Island
in coastal Georgia. During this time, Carr also worked as a contract archaeologist with Florida’s Division of Archives History and Records Management.
After graduation, Carr worked for more than 20 years as a Dade County archaeologist, during which time he conducted archaeological surveys of both Miami-Dade and Broward County. He was Miami-Dade County's first archaeologist. During this time, he was elected President of the Florida Archaeologist Council in 1980. From 1980-1983, he was an editor of The Florida Anthropologist.
Carr became the Executive Director of the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy, Inc. It is not-for-profit organization dedicated to the investigation and preservation of archaeological and historical sites across Florida and the Bahamas.
Carr conducted the work on the Miami River Circle from 1999 to 2003. The archeological remains appear to be those of the prehistoric ancestors of the Tequesta
tribe, encountered by Ponce de Leon
. What makes the Miami Circle significant is its contribution to the Tequesta archaeological record. Such a cut, circular pattern in the bedrock had not been found before. Carr believes it indicates either a council house or a temple. In recognition of its significance, in 2007 the Miami Circle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, and in 2009 the site was designated a National Historic Landmark
(NHL).
In April 2003, Carr led excavations at the MDM Miami site, DA11. This site is located on the north bank of the Miami River, just opposite the Miami Circle. The excavations uncovered the largest Tequesta cemetery ever documented, dating possible to 700 BC. The excavations also led to the discovery of the foundation of the Miami’s first hotel, the Royal Palm. Built in 1897, it was heavily damaged in a hurricane in 1926. It was demolished in 1930.
Carr conducted excavations at the Okeechobee Battlefield. The Battle of Lake Okeechobee
, a major conflict during the Second Seminole War
, was fought at the site. In 2006, he worked at Preachers Cave in the Bahamas.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He has also conducted fieldwork in the Bahamas.
Early life and education
Carr was born on July 5, 1947, at La Plata, MarylandLa Plata, Maryland
La Plata is a town in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 6,551 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Charles County.-History:...
. He is the son of Howard and Frances Carr. His family moved to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1952, where his father sought new opportunities in employment during Florida's post-World War II boom. He worked as a sign painter and a construction equipment operator, at which point he brought his family to Rock Harbor in Key Largo in a Miami transit bus which he had bought in an auction and converted into a mobile home. After his family moved to Miami, by age 13 Carr had become interested in archaeology. He began visiting sites at the mouth of the Miami River. Soon after, he joined the archaeology club at the Museum of Science, taught by avocational archaeologist Dan Laxson.
In June 1968, Carr graduated with his associate’s degree from Miami-Dade Junior College in Miami, Florida. From September 1970 through June 1971, he studied at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. In August 1972, Carr graduated with his B.A. in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
from Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, Tallahassee, Florida. Four years later, in August 1976, he received his M.A. in anthropology from Florida State University.
Career
While still a graduate student, Carr began working at the Florida Division of Historic Sites in the conservation lab. His phase I survey of Arch Creek (8DA23) in Miami-Dade County contributed to the state's acquisition of the site as a public park. Other early projects included a survey of prehistoric sites in Appalachicola and a search for the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
Fort Tonyn
Fort Tonyn
Fort Tonyn, named for General Patrick Tonyn , was located in present-day Nassau County, Florida, near the hamlet of Mills's Ferry. The fort was unremarkable in its day, seeing little action. It is remembered chiefly because it served as a way station in the only substantial campaign Florida saw...
on the St. Mary's River
St. Marys River (Florida/Georgia)
The St. Marys River is a river in the southeastern United States. It is named after the Irish Saint Mary. From near its source in the Okefenokee Swamp, to its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean, it forms a portion of the border between the U.S. states of Georgia and Florida...
. His survey of Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
in 1974 resulted in the discovery of previously unknown earthworks
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
and the first state assessment of the Okeechobee Battlefield of the Second Seminole War.
In 1974, Carr began working at the Southeast Center of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. During this time, he helped develop an aerial photographic model for locating sites in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Carr located a previously unrecorded village site at the Pharr Mounds
Pharr Mounds
Pharr Mounds is a Middle Woodland period archaeological site located near Tupelo in parts of Itawamba and Prentiss County in northern Mississippi....
site near Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the seventh largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Greenville. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211...
on the Natchez Trace
Natchez Trace
The Natchez Trace, also known as the "Old Natchez Trace", is a historical path that extends roughly from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers...
. He also took part in a survey at Cumberland Island
Cumberland Island
Cumberland Island is one of the Sea Islands. Cumberland is the largest in terms of continuously exposed land area of Georgia's barrier islands. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia and is part of Camden County...
in coastal Georgia. During this time, Carr also worked as a contract archaeologist with Florida’s Division of Archives History and Records Management.
After graduation, Carr worked for more than 20 years as a Dade County archaeologist, during which time he conducted archaeological surveys of both Miami-Dade and Broward County. He was Miami-Dade County's first archaeologist. During this time, he was elected President of the Florida Archaeologist Council in 1980. From 1980-1983, he was an editor of The Florida Anthropologist.
Carr became the Executive Director of the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy, Inc. It is not-for-profit organization dedicated to the investigation and preservation of archaeological and historical sites across Florida and the Bahamas.
Carr conducted the work on the Miami River Circle from 1999 to 2003. The archeological remains appear to be those of the prehistoric ancestors of the Tequesta
Tequesta
The Tequesta Native American tribe, at the time of first European contact, occupied an area along the southeastern Atlantic coast of Florida...
tribe, encountered by Ponce de Leon
Ponce de León
-People:* Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer of the Americas and first Governor of Puerto Rico* Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the son of Juan Ponce de León II, and early settler of Ponce, Puerto Rico...
. What makes the Miami Circle significant is its contribution to the Tequesta archaeological record. Such a cut, circular pattern in the bedrock had not been found before. Carr believes it indicates either a council house or a temple. In recognition of its significance, in 2007 the Miami Circle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, and in 2009 the site was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
(NHL).
In April 2003, Carr led excavations at the MDM Miami site, DA11. This site is located on the north bank of the Miami River, just opposite the Miami Circle. The excavations uncovered the largest Tequesta cemetery ever documented, dating possible to 700 BC. The excavations also led to the discovery of the foundation of the Miami’s first hotel, the Royal Palm. Built in 1897, it was heavily damaged in a hurricane in 1926. It was demolished in 1930.
Carr conducted excavations at the Okeechobee Battlefield. The Battle of Lake Okeechobee
Battle of Lake Okeechobee
The Battle of Lake Okeechobee was one of the major battles of the Second Seminole War. It was fought between 800 troops of the 1st, 4th, and 6th Infantry Regiments and 132 Missouri Volunteers and between 380 and 480 Seminoles led by Billy Bowlegs, Abiaca and Alligator on December 25, 1837...
, a major conflict during the Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
, was fought at the site. In 2006, he worked at Preachers Cave in the Bahamas.
Honors
- 1980, elected President of the Florida Archaeologist Council
- Received the Ripley P. Bullen Award
- 2003, Florida's Historic Preservation Award
Key excavations and projects
Bob Carr has been the principal investigator for numerous excavations and projects including archaeological assessment and data analysis of the Miami Circle (1999–2003); archaeological investigation of the Okeechobee Battlefield (2000–2001); Preachers Cave, Eluethera, Bahamas (1992 and 2006); Ortona Canal and Earthworks, Glades County (1991–2002); Long Lakes archaeological investigations (2000–2001); archaeological survey of Broward County (1985–1991) and Miami-Dade County (1979–1981); and an archaeological survey of Okeechobee Lake (1974).Research emphasis
Carr has helped develop and improve upon archaeology conducted in Florida and the Bahamas. His work has spanned over several archaeological topics and he has developed expertise from the Native American Tequesta and their ancestors to Seminole War sites, such as Okeechobee.Selected publications
- 1974 -“Aerial Photos Aid Archaeologists,” Popular Archaeology, Vol. 3, No. 6-7, p. 45.
- 1984 - "Prehistoric Man in Southern Florida", In Environments of South Florida – Present and Past, Ed. Patrick Gleason. Memoir 2 (revised). Miami Geological Society. (Co- author/Senior author).
- 2000 - Preliminary Report on Salvage Archaeological Investigations of the Brickell Point Site (8DA12), Including the Miami Circle
- 2003 -“The Archaeology of Everglades Tree Islands,” In Tree Islands of the Everglades, Ed. Fred H. Sklar and A. Van Der Valk.
External links
- Archaeological and Historical Conservancy, Official Website
- Kozue Takahashi, "Miami River Circle", Minnesota State University Mankato E-Museum
- "The Significance of the Tekesta Miami Circle", Tekesta Indians of South Florida, Hartford Web Publishing