Turtle Mound

On September 29, 1970, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It is the largest shell midden on the mainland United States, with an approximate height of 50 feet (15 m). The mound extends for over 600 feet (180 m) along the Indian River shoreline and contains over 35,000 cubic yards (27,000 m³) of shells. Turtle Mound was estimated to be 75 feet (23 m) high before it was reduced by shellrock mining in the 19th and 20th centuries. Because it is visible seven miles out at sea, early Spanish explorers and subsequent mariners used the large mound as a landmark for coastal navigation. Today, the site is owned and managed by the National Park Service as part of Canaveral National Seashore.

Turtle Mound

A photo of Turtle Mound in 1915
Location within Florida today
Location	New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida,  USA
Region	Volusia County, Florida
Coordinates	28°55′51″N 80°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
Architectural details	Number of monuments: 1
Turtle Mound
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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NRHP reference No.	70000193
Added to NRHP	September 29, 1970
Responsible body: State of Florida

The turtle-shaped mound contains oysters and refuse from the prehistoric Timucuan people, who caught a variety of small mammals and reptiles here. Archaeologists believe that these people may have used this site as a high-ground refuge during hurricanes. It has been estimated to have been constructed between 800 and 1400 CE; recent radio-carbon dating has dated it to around 1000 BCE.

The Timucuan 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.^{[citation needed]} Archaeologists have recently found 1,200-year-old pottery on the site.

The shell mound is a deposit of refuse composed mostly of oyster shells, but no extensive excavations have been made. The mound contains several species of tropical plants. Surveys have confirmed the presence of Amyris elemifera, Heliotropium angiospermum, Plumbago scandens, Harrisia fragrans, Sideroxylon foetidissimum, 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.

Currently called Turtle Mound, it has had several names throughout history including Surruque in the 16th century, named after the cacique (chief) and Indian tribe that lived in the area, Mount Belvedere (1769), The Rock (1769), Mount Tucker (1796), and Turtle Mount (1823). In 1605, the Spanish explorer Alvaro Mexia visited the site and reported natives launching their dugout canoes at the mound's base. Over many years of this practice, the mound began to take the form of a turtle, giving the feature its name.

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  Oyster shells visible beneath the overgrowth
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  1924 Photo of Turtle Mound
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  1929 Photo of Turtle Mound
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  Sign pointing the way to mound
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  Walkway towards mound
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  Shells visible through vegetation
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  Looking west from top of mound
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  Boardwalk to top of mound