Barnhill Indian Mound (Boca Raton, Florida)

 burial mound, Native American

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In 1953 Esmond Gerrard Barnhill bought 24 acres in Boca Raton, at this location. Barhnill was a distinguished photographer, known for his hand-colored photos of the Florida landscape. The site contained a 20-foot-high burial mound, which Barnhill excavated with archaeologist Ripley Bullen of the Florida State Museum. They uncovered 72 bodies, probably Tequesta Indians, dating from between AD 700 to 1300.
Barnhill turned the burial ground into “Ancient America,” where tourists could view the carefully arranged remains through glass partitions, in a tunnel through the mound. Ancient America was open from 1954 to 1958. The site was abandoned, and in 1981 was listed by Palm Beach County to be purchased for historical preservation, but the County did not purchase the site. The mound is still visible in a greenspace within the Boca Marina Yacht Club.