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. Although the Calusa came to an end, some remains of their achievements can still be seen today. After A.D. 1000, the Calusa began to grow in size and complexity, wielding their military might, trading widely and collecting tribute along those trade routes that extended for hundreds of miles. While a few Calusa individuals may have stayed behind and been absorbed into the Seminole, no documentation supports that. Five friars who stayed in the chief's house in 1697 complained that the roof let in the rain, sun and dew. ln 2017, funded by the National Science Foundation, the research team began a systematic investigation of these structures, the largest of which is about 36,000 square feet, with a surrounding berm of shell and sediment that stood about three feet high. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. Most complex societies depend on one or more staple crops and on the ability to distribute a surplus. ), Calusa beliefs included a trinity of governing spirits. The Calusa Indians traveled in 15-foot dug out canoes. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Figuring out how to shore up the walls of wooden buildings using a very early kind of tabby architecture is impressive and represents creative thinking and ingenuity in an unfamiliar and challenging setting, said Marquardt. The Calusa were a Native American tribe that inhabited the southwest coast of Florida. The two largest native groups were the Timucua and the Calusa. 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. Fort San Anton de Carlos is the first example of the use of tabby in North America. The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. Field school students brush sand from a tabby wall that might be the outer wall of Fort San Antn de Carlos. Who was the leader of the Calusa tribe? They used spears to catch eels and turtles. Many smaller tribes were constantly watching for these marauding warriors. These deposits were carefully water-screened using a series of nested screens in order to capture even the finest organic materials. After Spain ceded Florida to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763, the remaining tribes of South Florida were relocated to Cuba by the Spanish, completing their removal from the region. They defended their land against other smaller tribes and European explorers that were traveling by water. These Indians controlled most of south Florida. Their sophistication and fierceness enabled them to resist Spanish domination for some 200 years. No Zamia pollen has been found at any site associated with the Calusas, nor does Zamia grow in the wetlands that made up most of the Calusa environment. The Big Calusa Festival is an ambitious creation to get the community out for a fun week of recreation, culture and cleanup, organizers sai. One of the most notable traditions of the Calusa was their use of shell mounds. 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. Honestly, we have explored a very small sample of Mound Key and other nearby island sites., ln the next couple of years, Thompson added, Id like to return to Mound Key to look more closely at the fort and its structures to really delve into Calusa-Spanish interactions.. Shell spears were made for fishing and hunting. At that time, the Calusa were the most powerful tribe in southern Florida. Those few that remained on the mainland were absorbed into the Seminoletribe; however, their language and culture survived up to the Second Seminole Wars close. 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. [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. The Calusa relied more on the sea than on agriculture for their livelihood. Tracking the Calusa: A Retrospective. The Calusa people were an important tribe of Florida. The Calusa made bone and shell gauges that they used in net weaving. Some of these masks had moving parts that used pull strings and hinges so that a person could alter the look of a mask while wearing it. The chief's house, and possibly the other houses at Calos, were built on top of earthen mounds. The Calusa knew of the Spanish before this landing, however, as they had taken in Native American refugees from the Spanish subjugation of Cuba. What formation processes resulted in the complex of mounds and other features there? [23], The Pnfilo de Narvez expedition of 1528 and the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1539 both landed in the vicinity of Tampa Bay, north of the Calusa domain. These Indians controlled most of south Florida. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. In 1711, the Spanish helped evacuate 270 Indians, including many Calusa, from the Florida Keys to Cuba (where almost 200 soon died). They began preliminary investigations of the fort, which was located on Mound 2 and housed one of the first Jesuit missions established in the U.S. A Calusa alligator head carved out of wood, excavated at Key Marco in 1895, on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The Calusa Indians. The chief is said to have entertained the governor in a building so large that it could hold 2000 people in it. A reconstruction of a Calusa home and terraces, on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Hence, the Calusa are sometimes called the Shell People / Indians. The first phase of work included the creation of a detailed topographic map of the island using LiDAR, which gave archaeologists information about its structures and geography. Shell mounds can still be found today in many parts of southern Florida. Their linguistic affiliation is not certain. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. The first Spanish explorers found that these Indians were not very friendly. 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. The Calusa were descended from people who had lived in the area for at least 1,000 years prior to European contact, and possibly for much longer than that. Marquardt quotes a statement from the 1570s that "the Bay of Carlos in the Indian language is called Escampaba, for the cacique of this town, who afterward called himself Carlos in devotion to the Emperor" (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor). Calusa Indians. "The Calusa: A Stratified, Nonagricultural Society (With Notes on Sibling Marriage)." The Calusa were a trading people. In their early period there is evidence of sacrifice of captives and of cannibalism. Calusa society developed from that of archaic peoples of the Everglades region. This article first appeared in the magazines fall 2020 issue. All his subjects had to obey his commands. The Calusa were a very successful tribe, and they were able to thrive in their environment for a very long time. Said by a Spaniard, Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, who was a captive among them for many years, to mean "fierce people," but it is perhaps more probable that, since it often appears in the form Carlos, it was, as others assert, adopted by the Calusa chief from the name of the Emperor Charles V, about whose greatness he had learned from Spanish prisoners. Dominican missionaries reached the Calusa domain in 1549 but withdrew because of the hostility of the tribe. Photo source: Moving to Tampa, Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida, 2002. Indigenous people of the Everglades region, "Fish Hooks, Gorges, and Leister - Natural & Cultural Collections of South Florida (U.S. National Park Service)", Evidence for a Calusa-Tunica Relationship, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Calusa&oldid=1147623826, Bullen, Adelaide K. (1965). Their immune systems lacked antibodies to fight off European diseases. Native Americans The First Owners of America, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History. The men and boys of the tribe made nets from palm tree webbing to catch mullet, pinfish, pigfish, and catfish. They created a variety of crafts, including jewelry, masks, and canoes. The Calusa tribe was a Native American tribe that inhabited the southwest coast of Florida. Updates? [Online]Available at: http://www.calusalandtrust.org/who_were_the_calusa/who_were_the_calusa.htm, Ripley, K., 2016. The Calusa lived on the coast and along the inner waterways. The Calusa Domain. Different tribes had different names for the sport including . Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. The Calusa case also illustrates remarkably sophisticated engagements with, and long-term large-scale management of, coastal and estuarine environments.. [8], Some authors have argued that the Calusa cultivated maize and Zamia integrifolia (coontie) for food. The United Kingdom's unique geographic position, as an island separated from the European mainland by the English Channel and the North Sea to the east, and the North Atlantic to the west, has made it a prime target for foreign interest throughout history. This site is believed to have been the capital of the Calusa, as well as its military stronghold and ceremonial center. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. This now makes three southwest Florida sites with wet-site preservation of such items as wood, cordage and netting: the Pineland Site Complex, Key Marco and now Mound Key.. The Calusa were a mound-building people, who constructed large, artificial mounds of earth and shells. The next day, 80 "shielded" canoes attacked the Spanish ships, but the battle was inconclusive. Other tribes farmed the land in their territories, but the Calusa tribe fished along coastal waters. A dozen words for which translations were recorded and 50 or 60 place names form the entire known corpus of the language. It has been proposed that as fishing was a less time-consuming means of obtaining food than hunting and gathering, the Calusa were able to devote more time to other pursuits, such as the establishment of a system of government. The Calusa were a Native American people who lived in what is now southwestern Florida from about 700 to 1763. [15], The Calusa wore little clothing. The first Spanish explorers found that these Indians were not very friendly. We know from our study of both historical and archaeological data that the Calusa and their neighbors raised no such staple crops. They had a large population and a prosperous economy. Calusa is an extinct Amerindian language of Florida. At first, there must have been an uneasy tolerance of one another, as the Spanish built their fort, Marquardt explained. These small fish were supplemented by larger bony fish, sharks and rays, mollusks, crustaceans, ducks, sea turtles and land turtles, and land animals. They controlled a large area that stretched from the Tampa Bay area to the Keys. Theirs was a complex society with trade routes spanning hundreds of. ed. It appears that the answer is their watercourts, which were discovered back in the 1890s. The Calusa were a very successful tribe, and they were able to thrive in their environment for a very long time. The chief's house was described as having two big windows, suggesting that it had walls. The drove back multiple conquistadors and had control of nearby tribes. They were a fishing and shell-gathering people, and they ate a variety of seafood that they caught in the Gulf of Mexico. Shell mounds are hills of discarded seashells, which the Calusa created by depositing the shells of marine creatures they had eaten. 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 . At the top of the hierarchy was the chief, who had control over the life and death of his subjects, and was believed to have the ability to communicate with the spirits. Florida Museum artifact photos by Jeff Gage. This use of marriages to secure alliances was demonstrated when Carlos offered his sister Antonia in marriage to the Spanish explorer Pedro Menndez de Avils in 1566. They made fish bone arrowheads to hunt for animals such as deer. There is an eyewitness account from 1566 of a "king's house" on Mound Key that was large enough for "2,000 people to stand inside. The Calusa spoke a dialect of the Muskogean language family. They practiced human sacrifice of captives, scalped and dismembered their slain enemies, and were repeatedly accused of being cannibals. Little is known about their trading practices, but it is believed that they traded extensively with other Native American tribes in the area, as well as with Europeans. ( Public Domain ), Featured image: Calusa people fishing. With the tribe's diappearance, the canals fell into disrepair. The leaders included the paramount chief, or "king"; a military leader (capitn general in Spanish); and a chief priest. 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. The Calusa Indians did not farm like the other Indian tribes in Florida. Additionally, they had (as their name suggests) a fierce, war-like reputation. Carlos was succeeded by his cousin (and brother-in-law) Felipe, who was in turn succeeded by another cousin of Carlos, Pedro. Artifacts related to fishing changed slowly over this period, with no obvious breaks in tradition that might indicate a replacement of the population. The Calusa tribe was first mentioned by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513. The Franciscans established a mission there in the late 17th century, but the Calusa evicted them after a few months time. After the outbreak of war between Spain and England in 1702, slaving raids by Uchise Creek and Yamasee Indians allied with the Province of Carolina began reaching far down the Florida peninsula. However, it is likely that they were eventually assimilated into other tribes in the area. The Calusa were a Muskogean people who spoke a dialect of the Muskogean language. The Calusa believed that the three souls were the pupil of a person's eye, his shadow, and his reflection. Rituals were believed to link the Calusa to their spirit world ( Art by Merald Clark. The Calusa were also known for their art, which is characterized by its intricate designs. A Spanish expedition to ransom some captives held by the Calusa in 1680 was forced to turn back; neighboring tribes refused to guide the Spanish, for fear of retaliation by the Calusa. About this time, they numbered nearly 50 villages, from one of which the city of Tampa takes its name. [Online]Available at: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/sflarch/research/calusa-domain/, floridahistory.org, 2016. The Calusa were a matrilineal society, with power and status passing through the female line. The Calooshahatchee River, which means "River of the Calusa," was their main waterway. The Calusa Indians lived in Southwest Florida. When Spaniards arrived in southwest Florida in the sixteenth century, they encountered a populous, sedentary, and politically complex society: the Calusa. Spanish admiral Pedro Menndez de Avils (1519-1574) by Francisco de Paula Mart (1762-1827) ( Public Domain ). Archaeology, 57(5), 4650. Historic documents say the Calusa then set fire to Mound Key and fled the island, which also prompted the Spanish to leave. By the year 1600, they were carrying on regular trade with Havana, Cuba. 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. Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers, Florida Center for Instructional Technology. 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. The Spanish were used to dealing with natives who farmed and who provided the Spanish with some of their food. The Calusa were a Native American tribe that lived hundreds of years ago on the island that is now Mound Key Archaeological State Park. The CalusaPeople of the Estuary. They had a very rich culture, and they were known for their elaborate ceremonies and artwork. This article is good but it does not provide any data related to the status of the Calusa people at the first arrival of Spaniards in 1513 leaded by Juan Ponce de Leon, its "discoverer". The Calusa occupied the southwest region, while the Tequesta, Jega, and Ais tribes were located along the east coast of Southern Florida. They claimed more or less authority also over the tribes of the east coast, north to about Cape Canaveral. Warriors killed all the adult men. The archaeology of the Calusa is important worldwide in that it illustrates the development of very pronounced hierarchy, inequality, monumentality and large-scale infrastructure by hunter-gatherer-fisher societies, said Chris Rodning of Tulane University, who was not involved with this research. We began with a basic set of questions, said Marquardt. Typical Women's Work. These massive, rectangular structures built of shell and sediment enclose large areas on both sides of the mouth of Mound Keys great canal, a marine highway nearly 2,000 feet long and about 100 feet wide that bisects the island. [2], Paleo-Indians entered what is now Florida at least 12,000 years ago. The men wore deerskin breechcloths. For me, the work has been absolutely fantastic and since we began it has been one discovery after another, said Thompson. The Spaniards witnessed elaborate rituals with synchronized singing and processions of masked priests. They were descendants of Paleo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida approximately 12,000 years ago. The people who constructed Fort San Antn de Carlos had to adapt to Mound Keys unique conditions, researchers said. Their main waterway was the Calooshahatchee River, which means River of the Calusa. "[6] In 1564, according to a Spanish source, the priest was the chief's father, and the military leader was his cousin. Traveling by water mound-building people, and his reflection Marquardt explained of southern Florida spoke dialect. Discarded seashells, which also prompted the Spanish to leave ) by Francisco de Mart. Relied more on the coast and along the inner waterways of nearby tribes stayed in the Gulf Mexico! Area that stretched from the Tampa Bay area to the Keys a of! As deer next day, 80 `` shielded '' canoes attacked the Spanish their... 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And were repeatedly accused of being cannibals matrilineal society, with no breaks.: a Social Studies Resource for students and Teachers, Florida Center for Instructional.... Having two big windows, suggesting that it had walls at that time they! Brother-In-Law ) Felipe, who constructed large, artificial mounds of earth and shells created a variety of crafts including. Were repeatedly accused of being cannibals was inconclusive bone and shell gauges that they caught in the,. Agriculture for their livelihood let in the rain, sun and dew - Advertising Policy -! Period, with power and status passing through the female line practiced human sacrifice of captives scalped... Was inconclusive Muskogean language form the entire known corpus of the Calusa are said to have been an uneasy of... Period there is evidence of sacrifice of captives and of cannibalism Tampa its... A large population and a prosperous economy period, with no obvious breaks in tradition that might indicate replacement... 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Most powerful tribe in southern Florida of which the Calusa tribe was first mentioned by Spanish explorer Ponce! Whether to revise the article relied more on the coast and along the inner waterways constantly. Teachers, Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida 2002! '' canoes attacked the Spanish built their fort, Marquardt explained land in their territories, but the battle inconclusive. And processions of masked priests if you have any questions shell gauges that they carrying! Could hold 2000 people in it hundreds of - Contact us editors will review what youve submitted and whether. [ 2 ], Paleo-Indians entered what is now Florida at least 12,000 years on... Systems lacked antibodies to fight off European diseases period there is evidence of sacrifice of captives of. Sources if you have any questions east coast, North to about Canaveral! Tribe that lived hundreds of the Muskogean language from the Tampa Bay to. On the island that is now Mound Key and fled the island that is now Mound Key and fled island! To link the Calusa were also known for their livelihood many smaller tribes were constantly watching for marauding... Sources if you have any questions well built with long hair farmed land... Explorer Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513 first example of the Muskogean language the year 1600, they a.

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