Dolphin Skull Marks First Such Find Outside Pacific Northwest

A dolphin skull discovered amid Miami’s mysterious stone Indian ruins is the first such discovery at an archeological site outside the Pacific Northwest, officials said.

The muddy-brown colored skull, which an archeologist put together from 100 parts found in the ruins, was nestled among the remains of a shark and a sea turtle, Bob Carr, a director of the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy, said Friday.

The dolphin’s skull and other remains were laid upon an east-west axis in the Miami Circle, which is believed to have been a trading post of the Tequesta Indians along the Miami River.

The way the findings were aligned--similar to the way American Indians bury humans according to the rising and setting of the sun--makes archeologists believe they were significant and could have been made as a spiritual offering.

The remains also were buried instead of just tossed on the ground, adding to the belief that they were not simply remnants from a discarded meal, Carr said.