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The Turtle Mound is a historic site located 9 miles south of New Smyrna Beach
New Smyrna Beach, Florida

New Smyrna Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, Florida, United States. The population was 20,048 according to the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S....
, Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
, on State Road A1A. On September 29, 1970, it was added to the U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation....
. It is the largest shell midden
Midden

A midden, also known as a kitchen midden, or a shell heap, is a landfill. The word is of Scandinavian via Middle English derivation, but is used by archaeology worldwide to describe any kind of feature containing waste products relating to day-to-day human life....
 on the mainland United States, with an approximate height of 50 feet. The turtle-shaped mound contains oysters and refuse from the prehistoric Timucua
Timucua

The Timucua were an Native Americans in the United States people who lived in First Coast and North Central Florida Florida and southeast Georgia ....
n people. It was constructed between 800 and 1400 AD. Early Spanish
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
 explorers and subsequent mariners utilized the large mound as a landmark
Landmark

Originally, a landmark literally meant a geographic feature used by exploration and others to find their way back or through an area.In modern usage, a landmark includes anything that is easily recognizable, such as a monument, building, or other structure....
.






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The Turtle Mound is a historic site located 9 miles south of New Smyrna Beach
New Smyrna Beach, Florida

New Smyrna Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, Florida, United States. The population was 20,048 according to the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S....
, Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
, on State Road A1A. On September 29, 1970, it was added to the U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation....
. It is the largest shell midden
Midden

A midden, also known as a kitchen midden, or a shell heap, is a landfill. The word is of Scandinavian via Middle English derivation, but is used by archaeology worldwide to describe any kind of feature containing waste products relating to day-to-day human life....
 on the mainland United States, with an approximate height of 50 feet. The turtle-shaped mound contains oysters and refuse from the prehistoric Timucua
Timucua

The Timucua were an Native Americans in the United States people who lived in First Coast and North Central Florida Florida and southeast Georgia ....
n people. It was constructed between 800 and 1400 AD. Early Spanish
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
 explorers and subsequent mariners utilized the large mound as a landmark
Landmark

Originally, a landmark literally meant a geographic feature used by exploration and others to find their way back or through an area.In modern usage, a landmark includes anything that is easily recognizable, such as a monument, building, or other structure....
. Today, the site is owned and managed by the National Park Service
National Park Service

The National Park Service is the List of United States federal agencies that manages all List of areas in the United States National Park System, many U.S....
 as part of Canaveral National Seashore
Canaveral National Seashore

The Canaveral National Seashore is a National Seashore located between New Smyrna Beach, Florida and Titusville, Florida, in Volusia County, Florida and Brevard County, Florida, United States....
.

Characteristics

The shell mound is a deposit of refuse; the majority of the mound is comprised of oyster shells, although no extensive excavations have occurred. The mound contains several species of tropical plant
Plant

Plants are Life organisms belonging to the Kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae....
s. Surveys have confirmed the presence of Amyris elemifera
Amyris elemifera

Sea torchwood is a coastal evergreen shrub or small tree. It is found in central and southern Florida in the United States, The Bahamas, the Caribbean, and the Central American countries of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador....
, Heliotropium angiospermum, Plumbago scandens, Harrisia fragrans, Sideroxylon foetidissimum
Sideroxylon foetidissimum

False Mastic is a species of flowering plant in the chicle family, Sapotaceae. It is native to Florida in the United States, the Caribbean, and northern Central America....
, Schoepfia chrysophylloides, and other species. The site represents the northernmost distribution for several species. The heat retention of shells and the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean maintains warmer temperatures than surrounding areas.

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