MADIRA BICKEL MOUND
STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

By  Mike Miller April 24, 2025

The Madira Bickel Mound State Archaeological Site, located on Terra Ceia Island near Palmetto, Florida, is a 10-acre preserve that holds the distinction of being Florida’s first designated State Archaeological Site.

Donated by Karl and Madira Bickel in 1948, this site features a 20-foot-high ceremonial mound and the remnants of a burial mound, offering a window into the lives of Native American cultures spanning over 2,000 years.

Madira Bickel Mound Sign

The site, part of the broader Terra Ceia Archaeological Complex, was home to Native American communities from the Manasota, Weeden Island, and Safety Harbor cultures, with evidence of habitation dating back to the 1st century AD.

The flat-topped ceremonial mound, constructed from sand, shells, and village debris, likely supported structures for rituals or elite residences. Archaeological excavations, including those by Montague Tallant and Ripley P. Bullen, uncovered pottery sherds and tools. 

These revealed evolving lifestyles — from simple hunting and fishing during the Manasota period to the artistic pottery of the Weeden Island period (700–1300 AD). The Safety Harbor period saw larger villages and agricultural growth.

Though once speculated to be the village of Ucita from the 1539 DeSoto expedition, the absence of Spanish artifacts disproved this theory.

Located at 955 Bayshore Dr, Terra Ceia, just off U.S. 19 and 1.5 miles south of I-275, the site is open daily from 8 AM to sunset with no admission fee.

A short, accessible 0.2-mile trail leads to the ceremonial mound, where stairs ascend to a fenced viewing area.

Picnic tables are available, but there are no restrooms or staff. Visitors should bring water, bug spray, and sun protection, as the site is unshaded and overgrown.

Check the Florida State Parks website for updates on planned additions like a nature trail and kiosk.

Nearby Emerson Point Preserve offers complementary mound exploration. 

• The ceremonial mound’s unique curved ramp, possibly stepped like Mississippian mounds, is a rare feature.  

• The adjacent Prine Burial Mound, heavily damaged by early 20th-century road construction, yielded over 10,000 pottery sherds and 27 burials.  

• The site’s lush vegetation, including gumbo limbo trees and epiphytic plants, grows beyond typical ranges, creating a striking natural setting.  

• Some visitors report an “otherworldly presence,” adding a mystical allure to this ancient site. 

MADIRA BICKEL MOUND
STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL WEBSITE