Uniquely, it was powered by fishing, not farming. As Cushing noted and as more recent studies have revealed, they dug extensive waterways or canals (sometimes as large as 4 feet deep, 20 feet wide, and 3 miles long) that crossed Key Marco and the rest of the region. Little was recorded of jewelry or other ornamentation among the Calusa. But Widmer argues that the evidence for maize cultivation by the Calusa depends on the proposition that the Narvez and de Soto expeditions landed in Charlotte Harbor rather than Tampa Bay, which is now generally discounted. The king entertained the governor in a building so large that 2,000 people could stand inside. This lasted until about 1750, and included the historic Calusa people. The Calusa also used spears, hooks, and throat gorges to catch fish. The Franciscans established a mission there in the late 17th century, but the Calusa evicted them after a few months time. The Calusa people were an important tribe of Florida. The Calusa believed that the three souls were the pupil of a person's eye, his shadow, and his reflection. The Caloosahatchee Region". Living and surviving on the coast caused the tribesmen to become great sailors. The Calusa were a very spiritual people, and believed in a number of supernatural beings. Even at this early date, they were already noted among the tribes for the golden wealth which they had accumulated from the numerous Spanish wrecks cast away upon the Keys in the passage from the south. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. They formerly held the southwest coast from about Tampa Bay to Cape Sable and Cape Florida, together with all the outlying keys, and extending inland to Lake Okeechobee. According to some authorities their territory also extended inland as far as Lake Okeechobee. Their linguistic affiliation is not certain. The Calusa were also known for their art, which is characterized by its intricate designs. This article was most recently revised and updated by. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. While thousands of Calusa people were enslaved, about 270 people, including Calusa nobles, escaped to the Keys where, after the last raid by the Creeks on May 17, 1760, the surviving 60-70 Calusa . Re-entering the area in 1614, Spanish forces attacked the Calusa as part of a war between the Calusa and Spanish-allied tribes around Tampa Bay. The first recorded contact between the Calusa and Europeans was in 1513, when Juan Ponce de Len landed on the west coast of Florida in May, probably at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River, after his earlier discovery of Florida in April. Explorers reported that the Calusa attacked their ships that were anchored close to shore. The National Geographic has reported that archaeologists have discovered an ancient Native American kings house in Florida. Native Americans The First Owners of America, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History. We began with a basic set of questions, said Marquardt. In 1954 a dugout canoe was found during excavation for a middle school in Marathon, Florida. Two centuries later, they were regarded as veritable pirates, plundering and killing without mercy the crews of all vessels, excepting the Spanish, so unfortunate as to be stranded in their neighborhood. Omissions? At some point of time in their history, this tribe discovered that there was a wealth of fish in the waters, and began to exploit this resource. Instead of planting crops in sand, they created fishing nets with palm tree webbing and spearheads from shells found on the shallow ocean floor or shore line. In. Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, is a historical figure that has captured the imagination of people for centuries. People commonly occupied both fresh and saltwater wetlands. The first Spanish explorers found that these Indians were not very friendly. "[6] In 1564, according to a Spanish source, the priest was the chief's father, and the military leader was his cousin. When Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain in 1763, the last remnants of the tribes of South Florida went to Cuba. Radiocarbon dating of organic materials associated with the watercourts indicates they were built between A.D. 1300 and 1400, toward the end of a second phase of construction on the kings house. Why We Should Not Defund The Police Facts, Why Students Should Not Wear Uniforms Facts, Why Is Evolution Taught In Schools As Fact. This language family includes languages spoken by Native American tribes in the Southeastern United States, including the Alabama, Coushatta, Koasati, and Mikasuki languages. Most complex societies depend on one or more staple crops and on the ability to distribute a surplus. At the time of first European contact, the Caloosahatchee culture region formed the core of the Calusa domain. They arrived in seven vessels and climbed to the peak of Mound Key, a 30-foot-high, human-made island of shells and sand, to greet the king. The population of this tribe may have reached as many as 50,000 people. They traded with other Native American tribes in Florida, as well as with people in Mexico and Central America. [2], Paleo-Indians entered what is now Florida at least 12,000 years ago. Compiled by Kathy Alexander, updated April 2021. [14], The Calusa lived in large, communal houses which were two stories high. They were skilled fishermen and their economy was based on fishing and shellfish. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. These small fish were supplemented by larger bony fish, sharks and rays, mollusks, crustaceans, ducks, sea turtles and land turtles, and land animals. Wu Mingren (Dhwty) has a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and Archaeology. They created a variety of crafts, including jewelry, masks, and canoes. Archaeologists have long pondered how the Calusa could have grown to a population of some 20,000 and dominated such a vast region without relying on agriculture. It is recorded that in that year, the Calusa chief formed an alliance with the Spanish governor, Menndez de Avils. The two largest native groups were the Timucua and the Calusa. Corrections? However, their culture and influence has been felt long after their disappearance, and the name Calusa is still used to refer to the Native American people who live in the region today. The fort is the only Spanish structure built atop a shell mound in Florida. By interceding with these spirits, it was believed that the chief was ensuring that his people would be well-supplied by the land. For me, the work has been absolutely fantastic and since we began it has been one discovery after another, said Thompson. The research team uncovered a network of post holes and foundation trenches that indicate a large structure measuring about 80 feet long and 65 feet wide covered the summit of the islands highest hill. 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[Online]Available at: http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/calusa/calusa1.htm, Florida Museum of Natural History, 2016. After ten days, a man who spoke Spanish approached Ponce de Len's ships with a request to wait for the arrival of the Calusa chief. [9] There is also evidence that as early as 2,000 years ago, the Calusa cultivated a gourd of the species Cucurbita pepo and the bottle gourd, which were used for net floats and dippers. ( Public Domain ), Featured image: Calusa people fishing. Many smaller tribes were constantly watching for these marauding warriors. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. An analysis of faunal remains at one coastal habitation site, the Wightman site (on Sanibel Island), showed that more than 93 percent of the energy from animals in the diet came from fish and shellfish, less than 6 percent of the energy came from mammals, and less than 1 percent came from birds and reptiles. Tabby was later used by the English in their American colonies and in Southern plantations. The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. He struck an uneasy peace with their leader Caluus, or Carlos. The Calusa king Caalus, perched high on his throne in his grand house, watched as Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the first governor of La Florida, arrived with his entourage. Beginning roughly 2,000 years ago, the Calusa enjoyed centuries of dominance as the undisputed rulers of southwest Florida. They also claimed authority over the tribes of the east coast, north to about Cape Canaveral. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. In his second voyage, Ponce de Leon received a poisoned arrow that hounded his tight and he died in Cuba the same year in 1521.His decease is attributed to Calusa people. [2], Juan Rogel, a Jesuit missionary to the Calusa in the late 1560s, noted the chief's name as Carlos, but wrote that the name of the kingdom was Escampaba, with an alternate spelling of Escampaha. Hence, the Calusa are sometimes called the Shell People / Indians. By about 500 BC, the Archaic culture, which had been fairly uniform across Florida, began to devolve into more distinct regional cultures. By the early 1600s the Calusa returned to Mound Key and reestablished their capital. We do not fully understand the complexities of what happened to them. If a Calusa killed such an animal, the soul would migrate to a lesser animal and eventually be reduced to nothing.[18]. They developed a complex culture based on estuarine fisheries rather than agriculture. The Calusa: "The Shell Indians" The Calusa (kah LOOS ah) lived on the sandy shores of the southwest coast of Florida. Tracking the Calusa: A Retrospective. In an effort to reconnect the community to the waterways, Calusa Waterkeeper, a nonprofit clean water advocacy group, is kicking off the inaugural The Big Calusa, a recreational, educational and cultural family friendly week long festival next week. One of the causes of this was the raids conducted by rival tribes from Georgia and South Carolina. They were descendants of Paleo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida approximately 12,000 years ago. A few hundred Calusa people survived and were assimilated into other Native American tribes. "First Contact" is the theme of this year's annual event due to the first recorded encounter between Juan Ponce de Leon and the Calusa people taking place in 1513, which was 500 years ago. [Online]Available at: http://www.funandsun.com/1tocf/inf/nativepeoples/calusa.html, www.sanibelhistory.org, 2016. The men of the Calusa are recorded to have been powerfully built, and let their hair grow long. Mansa Musa, the ruler of the Mali Empire in the 14th century, is believed to be the wealthiest person in history, with a net worth of $400 billion in today's dollars. Favored sites were likely occupied for multiple generations. [1], Early Spanish and French sources referred to the tribe, its chief town, and its chief as Calos, Calus, Caalus, and Carlos. The Calusa were a Muskogean people who spoke a dialect of the Muskogean language. At first, there must have been an uneasy tolerance of one another, as the Spanish built their fort, Marquardt explained. The most powerful ruler governed the physical world, the second most powerful ruled human governments, and the last helped in wars, choosing which side would win. Hardwood forests covered the land and the climate was . The Tequesta (tuh-KES-tuh) were a small, peaceful, Native American tribe. The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. The Calusa Indians traveled in 15-foot dug out canoes. Hostilities erupted, and the Spanish soldiers killed Carlos, his successor Felipe, and several of the "nobles" before they abandoned their fort and mission in 1569. The Calusa were conquered by the Spanish in 1763. Although the Calusa tribe was once extremely powerful (defeating the Spanish on numerous occasions) and technologically advanced (building canals . People began creating fired pottery in Florida by 2000 BC.[3]. They used these canoes to travel as far as Cuba. Certain ceremonies were performed to seal the alliance (and perhaps also as a display of the might of the Calusa), and was witnessed by over 4000 people. The Calusa king, or head chief, was an absolute ruler. They were farmers to a limited extent but were better noted as expert fishers, daring seamen, and fierce and determined fighters, keeping up their resistance to the Spanish arms and missionary advances after all the rest of Florida had submitted. They made fish bone arrowheads to hunt for animals such as deer. It has been speculatively identified as Calusa in origin. ( Public Domain ). This article first appeared in the magazines fall 2020 issue. Shell mounds are hills of discarded seashells, which the Calusa created by depositing the shells of marine creatures they had eaten. You will be redirected to the LC Catalog start page shortly, or continue by clicking the following link: LC Catalog One illustration of the sophistication of the Calusa can be found in eyewitness accounts of an event in 1566. Dominican missionaries reached the Calusa domain in 1549 but withdrew because of the hostility of the tribe. The Muskogean language family is also spoken by the Seminole tribe of Florida. The Spaniards witnessed elaborate rituals with synchronized singing and processions of masked priests. Archaeologists have excavated many of these mounds to learn more about these extinct people. Circumstantial evidence, primarily from Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, suggests that all of the peoples of southern Florida and the Tampa Bay area, including the Tequesta, Mayaimi, and Tocobaga, as well as the Calusa, spoke dialects of a common language. (*) denotes earlier century Calusa language records. Archaeologists have excavated many of these mounds to learn more about these . There was little change in the pottery tradition after this. The Calusa tribe was first mentioned by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513. Many Calusa were captured and sold as slaves. [8], The Calusa caught most of their fish with nets. By the early 19th century, Anglo-Americans in the area used the term Calusa for the people. (2004). The Calusa were a Native American people who inhabited what is now known as southwestern Florida. They had a large population and a prosperous economy. Rogel also stated that the chief's name was Caalus, and that the Spanish had changed it to Carlos. The Calusa king had the power of life and death over his subjects and was thought by them to be able to intercede with the spirits that sustained the environment's bounty. Towns throughout south Florida sent tribute to the Calusa king. Such hierarchy and inequality are generally characteristics of societies that practice agriculture, he observed. Later periods in the Caloosahatchee culture are defined in the archaeological record by the appearance of pottery from other traditions. The Big Calusa Festival is an ambitious creation to get the community out for a fun week of recreation, culture and cleanup, organizers sai. They were a very innovative and prosperous tribe, and had a number of traditions that set them apart from other tribes in the area. They recovered various types of Spanish artifacts such as majolica ceramics, hand-wrought nails and spikes, a bale seal and olive jar sherds, as well as native artifacts. Marquardt, Thompson and other University of Georgia colleagues and students began fieldwork at Mound Key in 2013, funded by the National Geographic Society. The people who constructed Fort San Antn de Carlos had to adapt to Mound Keys unique conditions, researchers said. [7] The contemporary archeologists MacMahon and Marquardt suggest this statement may have been a misunderstanding of a requirement to marry a "clan-sister". As his father, the preceding king, was also known as Carlos, he is sometimes called Carlos II.Carlos ruled over one of the most powerful and prosperous chiefdoms in the region at the time, controlling the coastal areas of southwest . The Calusa were a fishing people. The signing will provide an opportunity for the public to meet Joseph, an independent scholar of Florida history, and discuss his novel, which tells of the history of the Calusa Indians, who once took up residence on . The Calusa was a powerful, complex society who lived on the shores of the southwest Florida coast. Cord was also made from cabbage palm leaves, saw palmetto trunks, Spanish moss, false sisal (Agave decipiens) and the bark of cypress and willow trees. Artists conception of the Calusa encounter with Ponce de Len in 1513. Their dwellings were of wood, built on piles, and their sacred buildings were erected on flat-topped mounds. They defended their land against other smaller tribes and European explorers that were traveling by water. Its construction is made entirely of shells and clay. Artifacts such as shell tools, weapons, and ornaments are on display in many Florida history museums. The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. They were known for their skill in battle, and they were able to successfully resist the Spanish and other European settlers who attempted to invade their territory. Some of the "Spanish Indians" (often of mixed Spanish-Indian heritage) who worked at the fishing camps likely were descended from Calusa. Water World. Directly beneath the chief was the nobility. Typical Women's Work. According to eyewitness accounts, in 1566 over 4,000 people gathered to witness ceremonies in which the Calusa king made an alliance with Spanish governor Menndez de Avils. The Calusa likely traded animal skins, hides, and feathers for goods such as weapons, tools, and beads. The capital of the Calusa, and where the rulers administered from, was Mound Key, near present day Estero, Florida. The Calusa have long fascinated archaeologists because they were a fisher-gatherer-hunter society that attained unusual social complexity, said William Marquardt, curator emeritus of South Florida Archaeology and Ethnography at the Florida Museum of Natural History. By the late 1700s, enemy tribe attacks reduced the strength of the proud Calusa tribe. Archaeologists have excavated many of these mounds to learn more about these extinct people. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. Although each tribe and region was different, the division of labor between men and women was generally similar across most of the Native American tribes. Unlike other Indian tribes, the Calusa did not make many pottery items. "Chapter 10. [15], The Calusa wore little clothing. The Calusa people were an important tribe of Florida. Could we find unequivocal architectural evidence that Mound Key was the Calusa capital town, as had long been suggested? Map of Calusa territory in Florida. Different tribes had different names for the sport including . It is believed that the few remaining Calusa Indians left for Cuba when the Spanish turned Florida over to the British in 1763. They built their homes and temples on mounds of earth, which they used to defend themselves against attack. The Calusa also made fish traps, weirs, and fish corrals from wood and cord. Calusa, North American Indian tribe that inhabited the southwest coast of Florida from Tampa Bay to Cape Sable and Cape Florida, together with all the outlying keys. Calusa influence extended over most of south Florida in the sixteenth century. Calusa influence may have also extended to the Ais tribe on the central east coast of Florida. However, no evidence of plant food was found at the Wightman site. The Calusa: "The Shell Indians". The Calusa tribe died out in the late 1700s. The Calusa were well established, with a population of several thousand. According to some authorities their territory also extended inland as far as Lake Okeechobee. The surviving members of the Calusa tribe either fled to Cuba or joined the Seminole Tribe. The Calusa (said to mean fierce people ) are a Native American tribe that once inhabited the southwestern coast of Florida. They also hunted deer, bear, and other animals. . Commoners supported the nobility and provided them with food and other material necessities. The Calusa tribe probably lived in Florida for several hundred years. The other two souls left the body after death and entered into an animal. Artifacts such as shell tools, weapons, and ornaments are on display in many Florida history museums. Carlos, also known as Calos or King Calusa (died 1567), was king or paramount chief of the Calusa people of Southwest Florida from about 1556 until his death. The Macuahuitl was an ancient Aztec weapon that could be used by both shamans and warriors. According to Spanish accounts, it was 1566 and, hoping to impress Caalus, who ruled what is now South Florida, Menendez had assembled 500 men, including some 200 soldiers, as well as trumpeters, drummers, fifes and even a gifted singing and dancing dwarf. The archaeologists recovered seeds, wood, palm-fiber cordage that likely came from Calusa fishing nets and even fish scales from the waterlogged levels. The Calusa were also known to sail up and down the west coast salvaging the wealth from shipwrecks. Indeed, given the results of recent research, they are now considered one of the most politically complex groups of non-agriculturalists in the ancient world. The pagan traditions associated with it have survived through the centuries, with many still What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? This site is believed to have been the capital of the Calusa, as well as its military stronghold and ceremonial center. Fontaneda lived with various tribes in southern Florida for the next seventeen years before being found by the Menendez de Avils expedition. The mission was closed after only a few months. Additionally, they had (as their name suggests) a fierce, war-like reputation. The last few Calusa probably fled to Cuba or merged with the Seminoles who moved into South Florida in the 1800s. Although the Calusa came to an end, some remains of their achievements can still be seen today. The Calusa painted their bodies on a regular basis, but there was no report of tattooing among them. They made a type of flatbread called tortillas, which they ate with their meals. A team has uncovered the foundations of a large dwelling and this is Several Native American tribes have passed down legends of a race of white giants who were wiped out. American Archaeology cover, featuring Florida Museum illustration by Merald Clark. The Calusa resisted physical encroachment and spiritual conversion by the Spanish and their missionaries for almost 200 years. In R. D. Fogelson (Ed.). The event will be held . The Calusa were a Native American tribe that inhabited the southwest coast of Florida. Calusa is an extinct Amerindian language of Florida. Mollusk shells and shark teeth were used for grating, cutting, carving and engraving. Theyformerly held the southwest coast from about Tampa Bay to Cape Sable and Cape Florida, together with all the outlying keys, and extending inland to Lake Okeechobee. Around A.D. 1250, the area experienced a drop in sea level that, according to research team member Karen Walker, collections manager at the Florida Museum of Natural History, may have impacted fish populations enough to have prompted the Calusa to design and build the watercourts. Julian Granberry has suggested that the Calusa language was related to the Tunica language of the lower Mississippi River Valley. The missionaries recognized that having a Calusa man cut his hair upon converting to Christianity (and European style) would be a great sacrifice. As their name suggests ) a fierce, war-like reputation Calusa king, Carlos! And the Calusa attacked their ships that were traveling by water what youve submitted and whether. Key was the Calusa capital town, as had long been suggested whether to revise the.. 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