***THIS IS AN EARTHCACHE***
***There is no container at the posted coordinates***
***You will need to submit answers to the questions below in order to claim this geocache as a find.***
Please obey all rules & regulations at the site and stay within the designated areas for public visitation. There is no need to leave the trail to successfully claim this EarthCache. And, as always, please practice CITO: Cache In, Trash Out!
Madira Bickel Mound is a ceremonial mound built by the Tocobaga tribe of Native Americans. Archaeological excavations have shown that the mounds in this region of Florida date back as far as 2000 years ago, having been built during the first of three historic periods of Florida Native American culture--the Manasota Period, the Weedon Island Period, and the Safety Harbor Period. Comprised of shells, sand and detritus, many mounds of this type can be found in Florida.
Karl A. and Madira Bickel donated the original 5-acre portion of the property to the State of Florida on April 16, 1948. On May 7, 1948, the State acquired another 5-acre portion and added it to the existing property. Presently the archaeological site comprises 9.18 acres, excluding the existing county road. On August 12, 1970, the site was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, the same year it also became a Florida State Park. It is the first Native American location in Florida to be designated as a State Archaeological Site.
Most of the terrain in this area is no more than five feet above sea level, but Madira Bickel Mound is distinguished by rising approximately 20 feet above sea level. As noted by the Florida Division of Recreation and Parks:
"Manatee County exists within part of the Terraced Coastal Lowlands, which is a subdivision of the Coastal Plain Province. At the beginning of the Pleistocene, most of southeast Georgia, a portion of southwest Georgia, and probably the entire Florida peninsula were beneath the sea and part of the continental shelf (New Georgia Encyclopedia 2006). The Pleistocene was a time of altering sea levels as the great continental glaciers of northern North America and Eurasia advanced and retreated, causing sea levels to rise and fall. During this time, five marine terraces and four shorelines were formed in Manatee County. These terraces are made up of sand, muck and alluvium deposits and were formed when sea level was approximately 20 feet above its current level.
"The upper limestone formation is the Charlton, a division of the Choctawhatchee stage, part of a Miocene series of limestone. The park is near the western edge of a geomorphologic feature known as the Gulf Coastal Lowlands, an area of muted topography that extends inland several miles from the coast."
In order to claim this cache as a "find," please perform/answer the following:
1). Send me an email or message with "Madira Bickel Mound" or "EarthCache" as the Subject, and tell me how many are in your group.
2). While at ground zero, you should see a small aluminum sign in the corner of the fenced-in area describing the vegetation on the mound. According to the sign, what is the base material of the mound, upon which these species grow best?
3). In observing the steps by which you reached the top of the mound, what material comprises the majority of which the steps were made?
4). From atop the mound, take a look at the surrounding area. Do you see any evidence of erosion? If so, what do you think is causing it? Or, if not, what do you think is preventing it from occurring?
5). (Optional) When you post your online log, include a photo of you, your group, your GPS, or something you find interesting on or near the mound. (NOTE: Please don't post a shot which reveals the answer to Question 2 or Question 3. If you do so, it will be deleted).
Answers to EarthCache questions should be sent to the Cache Owner BEFORE you log the cache. If you are unable to send the answers remotely, then technically you should wait until after you do send the answers before logging the cache. However, I'm willing to be flexible, providing you still send the answers within a reasonable amount of time. Logs without an accompanying email or message having been sent to the Cache Owner (or without responding to pending questions from the C.O.) will be deleted with no further notice.
The grounds are open from 8 a.m. until sundown, and there is no fee required to visit the site.
Also, while here don't forget to do the nearby traditional (container-type) "Land of Heavenly Places - Madira Bickel Mound" geocache (GC7QYF2)! It's only a few feet away!
Thanks for taking the time to visit this EarthCache! Grateful acknowledgement is given to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks for their Approved Management Plan report (dated 21 Apr 2015) from which information was gathered for the description above. Thanks, also, to the park managers of Madira Bickel Mound State Archaeological Site and all of Florida's State Parks. 😀
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| I have earned GSA's highest level: |
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* * * Congratulations to Grand Illusion Crew for being FTF!! * * *