Credit: Florida Museum of Natural History ). Historic documents say the Calusa then set fire to Mound Key and fled the island, which also prompted the Spanish to leave. 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. 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. 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.. Their immune systems lacked antibodies to fight off European diseases. Conversion would have destroyed the source of their authority and legitimacy. Its construction is made entirely of shells and clay. They made tools and weapons of seashells and fish bones. Researchers have previously hypothesized the watercourts were designed to hold fish, but this was the first attempt to study the structures systematically, including when they were built and how that timing correlates with other Calusa construction projects, Marquardt said. Wu Mingren (Dhwty) has a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and Archaeology. [Online]Available at: http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/calusa/calusa1.htm, Florida Museum of Natural History, 2016. The Calusas were one of the few North American Indian tribes who were ruled by a hereditary king. They were skilled fishermen and their economy was based on fishing and shellfish. The Calusa Indians lived in Southwest Florida. They were one of the first tribes in South Florida and they settled near Biscayne Bay in the present-day Miami area. The Calusa were a Native American tribe that lived hundreds of years ago on the island that is now Mound Key Archaeological State Park. This tribe was the first one that the Spanish explorers wrote home about in 1513. Her story is filled with drama, intrigue, and tragedy, and her influence on the course of English history is undeniable. 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. The Calusa occupied the southwest region, while the Tequesta, Jega, and Ais tribes were located along the east coast of Southern Florida. ), Artists conception of Calusa people preparing for fishing in the estuary (Art by Merald Clark. The people who constructed Fort San Antn de Carlos had to adapt to Mound Keys unique conditions, researchers said. 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. The Calusa were a Native American tribe that inhabited the southwest coast of Florida. 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. In 1954 a dugout canoe was found during excavation for a middle school in Marathon, Florida. Calusa ceremonies included processions of priests and singing women. However, we can make some estimates based on what we know about their culture and the environment in which they lived. The archaeologists recovered seeds, wood, palm-fiber cordage that likely came from Calusa fishing nets and even fish scales from the waterlogged levels. It has been speculatively identified as Calusa in origin. C enturies before countries such as the United Arab Emirates and China started building islands, the Calusa Indians living in southwest Florida were piling shells into massive heaps to construct their own water-bound towns.. One island in particular, Mound Key, was the capital of the Calusa kingdom when Spanish explorers first set foot in the area. Many people lived in large villages with purpose-built earthwork mounds, such as those at Horr's Island. The first Spanish explorers found that these Indians were not very friendly. The Calusa were a very advanced tribe. 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. 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 women were responsible for work around the house, like cooking and raising the children. Omissions? The Calusa made bone and shell gauges that they used in net weaving. The fort was obviously a massive presence on Mound Key, both in scale and as an example of European culture, but it appears that native food procurement, living arrangements and much of Calusa daily life continued with only minimal changes, said archaeologist Traci Ardren of the University of Miami, who was not involved with the teams work. The Calusa was a powerful, complex society who lived on the shores of the southwest Florida coast. Image by Pat Payne for American Archaeology. The Spanish left less description on what the Calusa women wore. Such hierarchy and inequality are generally characteristics of societies that practice agriculture, he observed. Little was recorded of jewelry or other ornamentation among the Calusa. The Calusa were a very spiritual people, and believed in a number of supernatural beings. However, Spanish accounts suggest that the Calusa tribe were the dominant tribe of the region and operated a complex Chiefdom that was comprised of a number of village communities all organized . A diorama of a Calusa chief in the Florida Museum of Natural History. The Calusa gathered a variety of wild berries, fruits, nuts, roots and other plant parts. They were a very innovative and prosperous tribe, and had a number of traditions that set them apart from other tribes in the area. The Spanish careened one of their ships, and Calusas offered to trade with them. Enemy Indian tribes from Georgia and South Carolina began raiding the Calusa territory. The population of this tribe may have reached as many as 50,000 people. The Franciscans established a mission there in the late 17th century, but the Calusa evicted them after a few months time. One illustration of the sophistication of the Calusa can be found in eyewitness accounts of an event in 1566. Supported in part by a grant from National . 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. 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 Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. In 1569, just three years after the Spanish fort was built, the Calusa attacked a Spanish supply ship, prompting more violence. Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida 2002. The Tequesta lived in the southeastern parts of present-day Florida. The Calusa were a Native American people who lived in what is now southwestern Florida from about 700 to 1763. The Calusa Indians did not farm like the other Indian tribes in Florida. The Calusa people were an important tribe of Florida. According to the documents, the brushwood and lumber fort encompassed some 36 structures. 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. (Public Domain ). Dominican missionaries reached the Calusa domain in 1549 but withdrew because of the hostility of the tribe. However, they would suffer the same fate as many of the other Native American tribes. The Calusa were conquered by the Spanish in 1763. 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. They used these canoes to travel as far as Cuba. 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. One answer is found in the productive estuarine environment of the southwest Florida Gulf coast. Widmer cites George Murdock's estimate that only some 20 percent of the Calusa diet consisted of wild plants that they gathered. Among most tribes in Florida for which there is documentation, the women wore skirts made of what was later called Spanish moss. The Shell People. [17], The Calusa believed that three supernatural people ruled the world, that people had three souls, and that souls migrated to animals after death. In reality, though, Calusa kings probably had to listen to the opinions of the village chiefs, who held local authority. Although the Calusa came to an end, some remains of their achievements can still be seen today. Unfortunately, we dont know exactly how long the Calusa tribe lived, because there is very little information about them. Shell mounds can still be found today in many parts of southern Florida. The Calusa were also very warriors. They built massive mounds of shells and sand, dug large canals, engineered sophisticated fish corrals, held elaborate ceremonies, created remarkable works of art, such as intricately carved wooden masks and traversed the waters in canoes made from hollowed-out logs. They had lived in the region since the 3rd century BCE (the late Archaic period of the continent ), and remained for roughly 2,000 years, [1] By the 1800s, most had died as a result of settlement battles, slavery, and disease. At the time of first European contact, the Caloosahatchee culture region formed the core of the Calusa domain. People commonly occupied both fresh and saltwater wetlands. Towns throughout south Florida sent tribute to the Calusa king. The name Calusa is derived from a word in their language, kalusa, meaning fierce people. The Calusa were a very powerful tribe, dominating most of southern Florida until the arrival of Spanish explorers in the 16th century. Fort San Anton de Carlos is the first example of the use of tabby in North America. It was during this time that the team located the Spanish fort Fort San Antn de Carlos, named for the Catholic patron saint of lost things that historic documents said was built near Caalus house in 1566. 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. A few hundred Calusa people survived and were assimilated into other Native American tribes. After each meal, these shells were put to good use as building material and tools. The Spanish were used to dealing with natives who farmed and who provided the Spanish with some of their food. The population of this tribe may have reached as many as 50,000 people. When Spaniards arrived in southwest Florida in the sixteenth century, they encountered a populous, sedentary, and politically complex society: the Calusa. The mission was closed after only a few months. 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. Commoners supported the nobility and provided them with food and other material necessities. When the chief formally received Menndez in his house, the chief sat on a raised seat surrounded by 500 of his principal men, while his sister-wife sat on another raised seat surrounded by 500 women. The Calusa: "The Shell Indians" The Calusa (kah LOOS ah) lived on the sandy shores of the southwest coast of Florida. 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. The Calusa resisted physical encroachment and spiritual conversion by the Spanish and their missionaries for almost 200 years. The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. At the time of European contact in the 16th and 17th centuries, the historic Calusa were the people of the Caloosahatchee culture. 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. . This language family includes languages spoken by Native American tribes in the Southeastern United States, including the Alabama, Coushatta, Koasati, and Mikasuki languages. ), Recommended Books, Videos & Places to Visit. These Indians controlled most of south Florida. The two largest native groups were the Timucua and the Calusa. Their use of shell mounds, artistry, and spirituality made them a unique and interesting people. The "nobles" resisted conversion in part because their power and position were intimately tied to the belief system; they were intermediaries between the gods and the people. 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? 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. 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. [8], The Calusa caught most of their fish with nets. 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. Nets were woven with a standard mesh size; nets with different mesh sizes were used seasonally to catch the most abundant and useful fish available. They made fish bone arrowheads to hunt for animals such as deer. Well-preserved nets, net floats, and hooks were found at Key Marco, in the territory of the neighboring Muspa tribe. This change may have resulted from the people's migration from the interior to the coastal region, or may reflect trade and cultural influences. The Calusa were also known to sail up and down the west coast salvaging the wealth from shipwrecks. From the Archaic peoples, two major tribes emerged in the area: the Calusa and the Tequesta. Explorers reported that the Calusa attacked their ships that were anchored close to shore. 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. 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. The Macuahuitl was an ancient Aztec weapon that could be used by both shamans and warriors. Could we find unequivocal architectural evidence that Mound Key was the Calusa capital town, as had long been suggested? The CalusaPeople of the Estuary. The Calusa Indians. Many Calusa are said to have been captured and sold as slaves. In 1711, the Spanish helped evacuate 270 Indians, including many Calusa, from the Florida Keys to Cuba (where almost 200 soon died). Undecorated pottery belonging to the early Glades culture appeared in the region around 500 BC. They built their homes and temples on mounds of earth, which they used to defend themselves against attack. Archaeology, 57(5), 4650. The Tequesta (tuh-KES-tuh) were a small, peaceful, Native American tribe. The Spanish reported that the chief was expected to take his sister as one of his wives. Hence, the Calusa are sometimes called the Shell People / Indians. Calusa Tribe. American Archaeology cover, featuring Florida Museum illustration by Merald Clark. Their estimated population in 1650 was 3,000 living in 50 villages. They were a very innovative and prosperous tribe, and had a number of traditions that set them apart from other tribes in the area. Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) EncyclopediaofFacts All Rights Reserved. The first people to live on the island were the Calusa Native Americans, who were known as a fierce people. Fontaneda was shipwrecked on the east coast of Florida, likely in the Florida Keys, about 1550, when he was thirteen years old. Artifacts such as shell tools, weapons, and ornaments are on display in many Florida history museums. The widespread illness and disease caused the tribe to disassemble by the early 18th century. (1993). Although the Calusa tribe was once extremely powerful (defeating the Spanish on numerous occasions) and technologically advanced (building canals . How did the Calusa manage this unusual feat? The shell mounds are an example of these remains. 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. Salvaged goods and survivors from wrecked Spanish ships reached the Calusa during the 1540s and 1550s. In addition, elaborate rituals with synchronized singing and processions of masked priests were also carried out on that occasion. Their sophistication and fierceness enabled them to resist Spanish domination for some 200 years. From several firsthand accounts of south Florida Indians written by Europeans, it is apparent that the Calusa were socially complex and politically powerful. Compiled by Kathy Alexander, updated April 2021. This was made with clay containing spicules from freshwater sponges (Spongilla), and it first appeared inland in sites around Lake Okeechobee. Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, an early chronicler of the Calusa, described "sorcerers in the shape of the devil, with some horns on their heads," who ran through the town yelling like animals for four months at a time. With the tribe's diappearance, the canals fell into disrepair. Native Americans enjoyed a wide variety of entertainment in the form of sports, games, music, dance, and festivals. However, no evidence of plant food was found at the Wightman site. 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. (2004). They used the shells for tools, utensils, jewelry, and ornaments for their shrines. Updates? An important tribe of Florida, formerly holding 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. The Calusa tribe probably lived in Florida for several hundred years. The Calusa strongly resisted two Spanish mission attemptsone in 1566 and another in 1697and persisted in many . Beginning roughly 2,000 years ago, the Calusa enjoyed centuries of dominance as the undisputed rulers of southwest Florida. Calusa beliefs included a trinity of governing spirits. Julian Granberry has suggested that the Calusa language was related to the Tunica language of the lower Mississippi River Valley. 150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time? They also claimed authority over the tribes of the east coast, north to about Cape Canaveral. 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. [2] The Tequesta tribe had only a few survivors by . 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). This page was last edited on 1 April 2023, at 04:02. The Calusa (kah LOOS ah) lived on the sandy shores of the southwest coast of Florida. 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. 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. In their early period there is evidence of sacrifice of captives and of cannibalism. Archaeologists have excavated many of these mounds to learn more about these . For a long time, societies that relied on fishing, hunting and gathering were assumed to be less advanced, said Marquardt. The Calusa also journeyed to Cuba and other Caribbean islands, trading in fish, skins, and amber. Tamara Jager Stewart is the assistant editor of American Archaelogy and the Conservancys Southwest region projects director. Pottery distinct from the Glades tradition developed in the region around AD 500, marking the beginning of the Caloosahatchee culture. Tracking the Calusa: A Retrospective. The men and boys of the tribe made nets from palm tree webbing to catch mullet, pinfish, pigfish, and catfish. . Fish stored in the watercourts likely fed the workers who built the massive palace. Many Calusa were captured and sold as slaves. The Calusa were a trading people. One of the most notable traditions of the Calusa was their use of shell mounds. 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. This site is believed to be the chief town of the Calusa, where the leader of the tribe, Chief Carlos lived. 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. Their linguistic affiliation is not certain. The Calusa, who had no immunity against such illnesses, were wiped out in large numbers. They collected materials for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating and sediment samples for archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological analysis. The men of the Calusa are recorded to have been powerfully built, and let their hair grow long. [28] Cuban fishing camps (ranchos) operated along the southwest Florida coast from the 18th century into the middle of the 19th century. Mound Key was thought to be the seat of the powerful Calusa kingdom, and recent archaeological research there has confirmed it was in fact the capital and also revealed the extent of ancient landscape alteration, monumental construction and engineering ingenuity that allowed the Calusas population to grow to an estimated 20,000 without reliance on agriculture. ( Public Domain ). Shells were discarded into huge heaps. The men wore deerskin breechcloths. The Calusa kingdom had an estimated 20,000 people and ranks among the most politically complex groups of hunter-gatherers of the historic world. By doing this, the Calusa were able to use the natural resources of the area to their advantage, and create a unique and distinctive landscape. Instead, they fished for food on the coast, bays, rivers, and waterways. There is evidence that the people intensively exploited Charlotte Harbor aquatic resources before 3500 BC. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The Spanish documented four cases of known succession to the position of paramount chief, recording most names in Spanish form. They created a variety of crafts, including jewelry, masks, and canoes. After suffering decimation by disease, the tribe was destroyed by Creek and Yamasee raiders early in the 18th century. The Calusa were eventually decimated by European diseases, and by the late 18th century they were a largely extinct people. When Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain in 1763, the last remnants of the tribes of South Florida went to Cuba. Relying on aquatic resources, the Calusa developed into a powerful, tributary chiefdom prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century, and occasionally expanded their reign to include other southern Florida tribes. Soon 20 war canoes attacked the Spanish, who drove off the Calusa, killing or capturing several of them. 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. 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