Schell, Rolfe F. 1,000 years on Mound Key; the story of the Caloosa Indians on . [4], The Calusa had a stratified society, consisting of "commoners" and "nobles" in Spanish terms. There was little change in the pottery tradition after this. Map of Calusa territory in Florida. On Key Marco, among numerous mounds and ridges of earth and shell, he discovered a courtyard submerged in mud and bound by walls of conch shells. [14], The Calusa lived in large, communal houses which were two stories high. They were a very innovative and prosperous tribe, and had a number of traditions that set them apart from other tribes in the area. Different tribes and regions had their own games and traditions. 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. It was during this phase of research that the team located and documented the massive kings house, showing it was indeed every bit as impressive as Spanish accounts, which claimed it was large enough to accommodate some 2,000 people. Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider, The Irish Story and Legend of C Chulainn, What is Shambhala? Soon after the discoveries, Donald funded archaeological mapping of . Would you like to help support our organization's work with endangered American Indian languages? The chief's house was described as having two big windows, suggesting that it had walls. 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. Historic documents say the Calusa then set fire to Mound Key and fled the island, which also prompted the Spanish to leave. The men of the Calusa are recorded to have been powerfully built, and let their hair grow long. Calusa ceremonies included processions of priests and singing women. The Tribes' sovereignty was once again recognized and funding was restored for education, housing and health programs. There are probably people of Calusa descent still alive today. He was aware, however, of the magnitude of his findings: the remains of a highly organized maritime society whose members performed elaborate rituals and whose artists possessed remarkable abilities in wood carving. 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. Historically located in northwest Florida, the Apalachee were allied with the Spanish, but maintained their autonomy through political and social traditions. [Online]Available at: http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/calusa/calusa1.htm, Florida Museum of Natural History, 2016. [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. Marquardt notes that the Calusa turned down the offer of agricultural tools from the Spanish, saying that they had no need for them. The Calusa had an established religion and practiced human sacrifice, and many temples were found built upon mounds. By interceding with these spirits, it was believed that the chief was ensuring that his people would be well-supplied by the land. Many smaller tribes were constantly watching for these marauding warriors. Around 1983, Donald found remains (ancient pottery and burial mounds) of Calusa Indians on some of his property, Josslyn Island. While the Calusa managed to survive that encounter, the 250 years that followed brought intermittent contact with other conquistadors, Christians missionaries, and in later years, English and French explorer-traders who vied for the territory, often with the help of native allies. Mollusk shells and shark teeth were used for grating, cutting, carving and engraving. It is recorded that in that year, the Calusa chief formed an alliance with the Spanish governor, Menndez de Avils. Descriptions of the principal town of Calos, probably located on Mound Island in Estero Bay (roughly 50 kms north of Key Marco), were first recorded by Spanish missionaries in 1586. 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. While a few Calusa individuals may have stayed behind and been absorbed into the Seminole, no documentation supports that. [2], Paleo-Indians entered what is now Florida at least 12,000 years ago. The immensity of the kings house, as well as the huge shell mounds and the canals required large amounts of labor and mechanisms to mobilize and to organize that labor that he thinks are indicative of a lower class that worked at the behest of the Calusas elites. Rogel also stated that the chief's name was Caalus, and that the Spanish had changed it to Carlos. Despite having no real agriculture, they developed a dense, sedentary, complex society, with all the good & bad that entails. Tamara Jager Stewart is the assistant editor of American Archaelogy and the Conservancys Southwest region projects director. For hundreds of years, the Calusa built a society that had its own government, a religion, and adaptation to the environment that is quite impressive. While there is no evidence that the Calusa had institutionalized slavery, studies show they would use captives for work or even sacrifice. [15], The Calusa wore little clothing. 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. 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. //-->. Credit: Florida Museum of Natural History ). A dozen words for which translations were recorded and 50 or 60 place names form the entire known corpus of the language. The Calusa leader, Calus (called Carlos II by the Spaniards), agrees to accept a Jesuit missionary among his people, but the Calusa refuse to . Widmer cites George Murdock's estimate that only some 20 percent of the Calusa diet consisted of wild plants that they gathered. The Calusa Native Americans. When combined with historical and archaeological documentation, Cushings finds from Key Marco teach us about the Calusa Indians around the time of contact. Chumash Tribe Facts: The Chumash Name A new tribe that entered Florida either from the islands or the north at the start of the Christian Era, the Calusa dominated South Florida with their statute, skills, and brutality. The Calusa Indians, who live in southwest Florida, are weakened by epidemics. MacMahon, Darcie A. and William H. Marquardt. In. The chief is said to have entertained the governor in a building so large that it could hold 2000 people in it. Little is known about Calusa religion. 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. The Spanish founded a mission on Biscayne Bay in 1743 to serve survivors from several tribes, including the Calusa, who had gathered there and in the Florida Keys. They were supported by the labor of the majority of the Calusa. Engineering the courts required an intimate understanding of daily and seasonal tides, hydrology and the biology of various fish species, said Thompson. The Calusa people were an important tribe of Florida. After each meal, these shells were put to good use as building material and tools. Among most tribes in Florida for which there is documentation, the women wore skirts made of what was later called Spanish moss. However, they would suffer the same fate as many of the other Native American tribes. Menndez left a garrison of soldiers and a Jesuit mission, San Antn de Carlos, at the Calusa capital. 1). The missionaries recognized that having a Calusa man cut his hair upon converting to Christianity (and European style) would be a great sacrifice. Calusa political influence and control also extended over other tribes in southern Florida, including the Mayaimi around Lake Okeechobee, and the Tequesta and Jaega on the southeast coast of the peninsula. "Calusa". 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. Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. Native Americans of the California Coast: The Chumash By Damian Bacich The Chumash are a widespread group of California native people who lived along the southern California coast and the Santa Barbara Channel Islands. The Calusas as Shell Indians The Calusas are considered to be the first "shell collectors." Shells were discarded into huge heaps. Darcie A. Macmahon and Dr. William H. Marquardt, an expert on the Calusa, have written a fascinating book that brings to life a group of people who disappeared from Florida in the 1700s. The Calusa lived from at least A.D. 1000 up to the middle of the 18th century in what are now southwest Floridas Lee, Charlotte, and Collier counties. Different tribes had different names for the sport including . The Calusa also believed that three supernatural beings ruled the universe. Seeking Native American Spirituality: Read This First! According to the documents, the brushwood and lumber fort encompassed some 36 structures. In 1569, just three years after the Spanish fort was built, the Calusa attacked a Spanish supply ship, prompting more violence. You could hire a shaman and pay for his services. The surrounding villages had local headmen who answered to the chief. From the time of European contact until their ultimate demise from conflict and illness around 1770, the Calusa successfully resisted, albeit with considerable bloodshed, intermittent efforts by Spanish missionaries to convert them to Christianity. ( Public Domain ). At least three of the animal figureheads were found in close association with wooden humanlike masks which Cushing understood to represent the human form of that animal. One of the causes of this was the raids conducted by rival tribes from Georgia and South Carolina. The rich and relatively stable coastal ecology of southwest Florida provided an abundance of marine lifenumerous kinds of fish, shellfish, and sea mammalsthat was capable of supporting a large human population. This answer is: Study guides. 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. The Calusa, who had no immunity against such illnesses, were wiped out in large numbers. The Calusa remained committed to their belief system despite Spanish attempts to convert them to Catholicism. The archaeologists recovered seeds, wood, palm-fiber cordage that likely came from Calusa fishing nets and even fish scales from the waterlogged levels. Directly beneath the chief was the nobility. One is left only to imagine how lifelike these wooden figureheads must have appeared when used on ceremonial occasions. support our organization's work with endangered American Indian languages. [5] A few leaders governed the tribe. Furthermore, new diseases such as smallpox and measles were introduced into the area by European explorers. By about 500 BC, the Archaic culture, which had been fairly uniform across Florida, began to devolve into more distinct regional cultures. The Chilling Mystery of the Octavius Ghost Ship, What is a Wendigo? [7], The Calusa diet at settlements along the coast and estuaries consisted primarily of fish, in particular pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides), pigfish (redmouth grunt), (Orthopristis chrysoptera) and hardhead catfish (Ariopsis felis). Many Calusa are said to have been captured and sold as slaves. The Calusa knew of the Spanish before this landing, however, as they had taken in Native American refugees from the Spanish subjugation of Cuba. On that trip, Juan and his mates are said to have been attacked by the Calusa Indians, a large and fearsome group of natives who made their living from the sea. They collected materials for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating and sediment samples for archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological analysis. The Jews are not a race. 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. The Calusa Tribe had a large population and were well-organized. They were occupying this land and engaging in commerce, culture, religion, politics and family life . They are attacked by Spain, which in 1566 had established St. Augustine in the north. Among other things. 4-8). Cushings excavations took place along the coast. Historical documents indicate that by the mid-1700s, the dwindling Calusa population had fled to Cuba, or the Florida Keys. . By the early 1600s the Calusa returned to Mound Key and reestablished their capital. "The Calusa: A Stratified, Nonagricultural Society (With Notes on Sibling Marriage)." Calusa territory reached from Charlotte Harbor to Cape Sable, all of present-day Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties, and may have included the Florida Keys at times. The Franciscans established a mission there in the late 17th century, but the Calusa evicted them after a few months time. [13][11] Artifacts of wood that have been found include bowls, ear ornaments, masks, plaques, "ornamental standards", and a finely carved deer head. There is evidence that the people intensively exploited Charlotte Harbor aquatic resources before 3500 BC. In 1763, Spain ceded Florida to England and surviving Calusas were taken to Cuba. The women were responsible for work around the house, like cooking and raising the children. New Evidence Shows Humans Were Using Bows and Arrows in 52,000 BC. Want this question answered? The Carolinan colonists supplied firearms to the Creek and Yemasee, but the Calusa, who had isolated themselves from Europeans, had none. Native American tattoos The Calusa are said to have been the descendants of Palaeo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida about 12000 years ago. Index of Indigenous languages Marquardt, Thompson and other University of Georgia colleagues and students began fieldwork at Mound Key in 2013, funded by the National Geographic Society. Little is known about Calusa religion. The finds tell us of Calusa fishing techniques, of the tools used to produce their wooden carvings, of architecture, ceremonialism, and daily life. 9). There were engineers. The National Geographic has reported that archaeologists have discovered an ancient Native American kings house in Florida. Uniquely, it was powered by fishing, not farming. The Calusa people's diet consisted mainly of fish and shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico and its many waterways. Be notified when an answer is posted. It was not conserved and is in poor shape, but it is displayed at the nature center in Marathon. Add an answer. But the Spanish not only refused to fight Caalus rivals, they also wanted to convert his people to Catholicism, which eventually led to conflict between the Spanish and the Calusa. The Calusa Indians were descendants of Paleo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida approximately 12,000 years ago. Judging from the email I get, there are a lot of people out there trying to learn about traditional Native American religion and spirituality these days. The Calusa artifacts discovered on Marco Island date from 300 AD to 1500 AD, prior to European contact in Florida. It seems clear that while the Spaniards wanted strategic control of the region, the Calusa territory provided them with little economic incentive for serious pursuit; they and other Europeans explored more promising regions to the north. [Online]Available at: http://floridahistory.org/indians.htm, Marquardt, W. H., 2014. This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 15:27. 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. 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. Undecorated pottery belonging to the early Glades culture appeared in the region around 500 BC. Return to our menu of Native American cultures The Shell People. Detailed analysis and AMS dates led us to the realization that the structure went through at least three phases of building activity over several centuries, the earliest phase dating to around A.D. 1000.. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? Fontaneda lived with various tribes in southern Florida for the next seventeen years before being found by the Menendez de Avils expedition. Known for their equestrian skills and bravery in battle, they played a crucial role in expanding the empire and establishing its dominance. The Caloosahatchee Region". Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! The Untersberg is a great mountain straddling the Austro-German border opposite Salzburg. Perhaps a dancer wore the mask and carried the figurehead of the particular animal he was emulating (Cushing 1896). The Iroquois, on the other hand, placed the shaman at the head of all things spiritual. However, archeological digs on Sanibel Island and Useppa Island have revealed evidence that the Calusa did in fact consume wild plants such as cabbage palm, prickly pear, hog plum, acorns, wild papaya, and chili peppers. Wiki User. Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy! They are a tribe. ARTIFACTS & OBJECTS Racoon tail Fish bladder ear decorations Body tattoos Wood spear with bone tip Shell bead necklace Shell pendant Shell bead bracelet Bald Eagle The watercolors illustrate the blue, black, gray, and brownish-red pigments found on many of the wooden specimens. Florida Museum of Natural History Florida and Georgia archaeologists have discovered the location of Fort San Antn de Carlos, home of one of the first Jesuit missions in North America. The architectural remains of the kings house were relatively easy to find, but difficult to interpret at first, Marquardt said. In a report from 1697, the Spanish noted 16 houses in the Calusa capital of Calos, which had 1,000 residents. The plaques and other objects were often painted. One example of a shell mound can be found at a site known as Mound Key at Estero Bay in Lee County. Favored sites were likely occupied for multiple generations. 2013-09-27 21:18:35. Previous indigenous cultures had lived in the area for thousands of years. According to Menendez, in 1566 the town of Calos contained a central mound where special masks were kept and where human sacrifices were made. The Legend of the Calusa Many people believe that the Calusa made a trip to Cuba in their canoes and traded with the Mayans. People began creating fired pottery in Florida by 2000 BC.[3]. The Calusa used the canals to travel by canoe from their villages and ceremonial centers to coastal trading posts. Fruit and roots were gathered, and deer, bear, and raccoon were probably eaten as well. Each human had three souls, present in his shadow, his reflection in water and in the pupil of his eye. THE CALUSA INDIANS OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. This class was supported by commoners, who provided them with food and other material goods. The explorers soon became the targets of the Calusa attacks. 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. , Ruler and Raider, the Irish story and Legend of C Chulainn What. 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