Perhaps a dancer wore the mask and carried the figurehead of the particular animal he was emulating (Cushing 1896). In R. D. Fogelson (Ed.). 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. (1993). [15], The Calusa wore little clothing. The chief's house, and possibly the other houses at Calos, were built on top of earthen mounds. The men wore deerskin breechcloths. Tools for fishing were made of shell, wood, and plant materials and included hooks and spears, nets, net floats and sinkers, cord, and anchors (Fig. Mound Key, an island west of Fort Myers, was the center of this large Calusa Empire. The Calusas were one of the few North American Indian tribes who were ruled by a hereditary king. [2] The Tequesta tribe had only a few survivors by . Fish bones and scales recovered from one of the watercourts indicate the Calusa were capturing schooling species such as mullet, pinfish and herring. The watercolors illustrate the blue, black, gray, and brownish-red pigments found on many of the wooden specimens. It's one of Florida's most popular destinations for its turquoise coast and laid-back vibe. The next day 80 "shielded" canoes attacked the Spanish ships, but the battle was inconclusive. By Paul Brinkmann. They were a very innovative and prosperous tribe, and had a number of traditions that set them apart from other tribes in the area. This site is believed to have been the capital of the Calusa, as well as its military stronghold and ceremonial center. They left 1,700 behind. Their immune systems lacked antibodies to fight off European diseases. The Penn Museum respectfully acknowledges that it is situated on Lenapehoking, the ancestral and spiritual homeland of the Unami Lenape. Among most tribes in Florida for which there is documentation, the women wore skirts made of what was later called Spanish moss. Their territory was bounded in northwest Florida by the Aucilla and Ochlockonee rivers, and . 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. 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. Penn Museum 2023 Report Web Accessibility Issues and Get Help / Contact / Copyright / Disclaimer / Privacy /, Report Web Accessibility Issues and Get Help. He was also attacked by the Calusa. The heir of the chief wore gold in an ornament on his forehead and beads on his legs. The priests wore carved masks, which were at other times hung on the walls inside a temple. And to what extent does the occupational and architectural history speak to broader issues of Calusa complexity? [10][11][12], Mollusk shells and wood were used to make hammering and pounding tools. MacMahon, Darcie A. and William H. Marquardt. In 1954 a dugout canoe was found during excavation for a middle school in Marathon, Florida. "They had an established religion. The people who constructed Fort San Antn de Carlos had to adapt to Mound Keys unique conditions, researchers said. [Online]Available at: http://floridahistory.org/indians.htm, Marquardt, W. H., 2014. Widmer cites George Murdock's estimate that only some 20 percent of the Calusa diet consisted of wild plants that they gathered. The Tequesta lived in the southeastern parts of present-day Florida. The Calusa kingdom had an estimated 20,000 people and ranks among the most politically complex groups of hunter-gatherers of the historic world. 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. [Online]Available at: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/sflarch/research/calusa-domain/, floridahistory.org, 2016. To date no one has found a Calusa dugout canoe, but it is speculated that such vessels would have been constructed from cypress or pine, as used by other Florida tribes. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? Mound Key Archaeological State Park is a shell midden mound in the Estero Bay that is estimated to have been inhabited over 2,000 years ago. Cushings knowledge of American Indian culture, and specifically his experiences at Zuni Pueblo, helped him make rapid judgments about objects which in many cases were disintegrating before him. 1). The ancestors of the Calusa are said to have survived by hunting prehistoric animals such as woolly mammoths and giant tortoises, and collecting fruits and other edible plants. Conversion would have destroyed the source of their authority and legitimacy. The chief is said to have entertained the governor in a building so large that it could hold 2000 people in it. Calusa beliefs included a trinity of governing spirits. One of the most notable traditions of the Calusa was their use of shell mounds. "[6] In 1564, according to a Spanish source, the priest was the chief's father, and the military leader was his cousin. The Spanish were used to dealing with natives who farmed and who provided the Spanish with some of their food. What was the Calusa religion? 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. 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. Historically located in northwest Florida, the Apalachee were allied with the Spanish, but maintained their autonomy through political and social traditions. One example of a shell mound can be found at a site known as Mound Key at Estero Bay in Lee County. The Calusa (/klus/ k-LOO-s) were a Native American people of Florida's southwest coast. This class was supported by commoners, who provided them with food and other material goods. The capital of the Calusa, and where the rulers administered from, was Mound Key, near present day Estero, Florida. Calusa beliefs included a trinity of governing spirits. they did speacial dances. These Indians were so unfriendly that this was one of the first tribes that Spanish explorers wrote home about in 1513. They were descendants of Paleo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida approximately 12,000 years ago. The Calusa may have been the only ancient people in North America who established a kingdom without practicing agriculture. The CalusaPeople of the Estuary. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. The pelican, wolf, and deer figureheads mentioned here (Figs. Upon learning that the Spaniards did not intend to provide food, clothing, and other gifts, the Calusa rebelled, tenaciously holding to their own beliefs and practices. The men wore their hair long. 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. The Calusa Indians did not farm like the other Indian tribes in Florida. 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. Franciscan friar Fray Lopez, director of the unsuccessful 1697 mission attempt, described the Calusa temples as very tall and wide, with a mound in the middle and a structure on the mound enclosed with reed mats and containing benches around the walls. The Calusa king initially allied himself with Menendez, hoping to gain an advantage over his rivals elsewhere in the Florida peninsula.. Office: Old St. Luke's Hospital. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2004. Before the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, Indigenous peoples who lived in the same region developed similar cultural traits based on their shared natural environment. . Since it seems to be working, many people still believe in the legend. This change may have resulted from the people's migration from the interior to the coastal region, or may reflect trade and cultural influences. While there is no evidence that the Calusa had institutionalized slavery, studies show they would use captives for work or even sacrifice. Little was recorded of jewelry or other ornamentation among the Calusa. The Calusa king, or head chief, was an absolute ruler. The Calusa painted their bodies on a regular basis, but there was no report of tattooing among them. The Calusa used wooden dugout canoes to aid them in fishing and for transport. Milanich, J. T. (2004). We began with a basic set of questions, said Marquardt. The mission was closed after only a few months. Rituals were believed to link the Calusa to their spirit world (Art by Merald Clark.) A Calusa /s/ [s] sound is said to range between a /s/ to a // sound. By the 1700s though, the Tequesta people had disappeared. The courtyard was drained and cleared, exposing house posts, fishing nets, shell tools, bowls and drinking vessels, weapons, canoes, pottery, and extraordinary wooden masks and animal figureheads (Fig. They had the highest population density of South Florida; estimates of total population at the time of European contact range from 10,000 to several times that, but these are speculative. During Menndez de Avils's visit in 1566, the chief's wife was described as wearing pearls, precious stones and gold beads around her neck. 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 also claimed authority over the tribes of the east coast, north to about Cape Canaveral. At the time of the excavations Cushing did not know the name or precise age of the Indians whose world he had discovered. Directly beneath the chief was the nobility. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. 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. Seeing the work of the Calusa in these materials first-hand were really exciting moments for us.. Gainesville: University of Florida Press: Florida Museum of Natural History, 1991. There were engineers. Slaves occupy the lowest level in Calusa society. Radiocarbon dating of carbonized wood, a deer bone and a shell verified the forts mid-16th-century date. While estimates vary, their population probably numbered between 4,000 and 10,000. The Calusa people's diet consisted mainly of fish and shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico and its many waterways. The Tequesta (tuh-KES-tuh) were a small, peaceful, Native American tribe. The Calusa had an established religion and practiced human sacrifice, and many temples were found built upon mounds. All his subjects had to obey his commands. The women were responsible for work around the house, like cooking and raising the children. 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. 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. ( Public Domain ). The Caloosahatchee Region". See answer (1) Best Answer. The Shell People. Tabby was an Old World concrete consisting of lime from burned shells mixed with sand, ash, water and broken shells. Return to our menu of Native American cultures People began creating fired pottery in Florida by 2000 BC.[3]. [8], The Calusa caught most of their fish with nets. Native American tattoos They were one of the first tribes in South Florida and they settled near Biscayne Bay in the present-day Miami area. His status was reflected by his personal adornments, which included a golden headdress and beaded leg bands (Coggin and Sturtevant 1964). A reconstruction of a Calusa home and terraces, on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. They developed a complex culture based on estuarine fisheries rather than agriculture. A variety of carving tools were also recovered. This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 15:27. At the time of European contact in the 16th and 17th centuries, the historic Calusa were the people of the Caloosahatchee culture. The Chilling Mystery of the Octavius Ghost Ship, What is a Wendigo? It has been speculatively identified as Calusa in origin. Image by Pat Payne for American Archaeology. 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.. They fished and hunted for their food and would catch things like: mullet, catfish, eels, turtles, deer, conchs, clams, oysters, and crabs. 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. 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