Escampaba may be related to a place named Stapaba, which was identified in the area on an early 16th-century map. In R. D. Fogelson (Ed.). 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 first people to live on the island were the Calusa Native Americans, who were known as a fierce people. The CalusaPeople of the Estuary. Later periods in the Caloosahatchee culture are defined in the archaeological record by the appearance of pottery from other traditions. With the tribe's diappearance, the canals fell into disrepair. Their linguistic affiliation is not certain. Milanich, Jerald. Photo source: Moving to Tampa, Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida, 2002. 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. The Calooshahatchee River, which means "River of the Calusa," was their main waterway. 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. (*) denotes earlier century Calusa language records. The men and boys of the tribe made nets from palm tree webbing to catch mullet, pinfish, pigfish, and catfish. 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. The Calusa were a Native American tribe that inhabited the southwest coast of Florida. 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. This language was distinct from the languages of the Apalachee, Timucua, Mayaca, and Ais people in central and northern Florida. The 2017 excavations were really exciting for a number of reasons, Thompson said. What traditions did the Calusa tribe have? Calusa Indians. Today, the word "Aryan" has become synonymous with all sorts of negative connotations, including theories of racial superiority and white supremacy. The Calusa were a Native American people who lived in southwest Florida from about 500 BC to 1500 AD. 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. It is likely there are descendants of the Calusa living among the Native American people of Florida and in Cuba today., In terms of Mound Key, much more can be learned about the Spanish fort and mission, the relations between the Calusa and the Spaniards and the earlier, pre-contact occupations of the island, Marquardt said. 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 . The Calusa (said to mean fierce people ) are a Native American tribe that once inhabited the southwestern coast of Florida. Shells were discarded into huge heaps. Their use of shell mounds, artistry, and spirituality made them a unique and interesting people. The Calusa Indians did not farm like the other Indian tribes in Florida. ), Recommended Books, Videos & Places to Visit. The Calusa were a mound-building people, who constructed large, artificial mounds of earth and shells. [7] The contemporary archeologists MacMahon and Marquardt suggest this statement may have been a misunderstanding of a requirement to marry a "clan-sister". These Indians controlled most of south Florida. Marquardt, Thompson and other University of Georgia colleagues and students began fieldwork at Mound Key in 2013, funded by the National Geographic Society. Fontaneda lived with various tribes in southern Florida for the next seventeen years before being found by the Menendez de Avils expedition. Tracking the Calusa: A Retrospective. Tamara Jager Stewart is the assistant editor of American Archaelogy and the Conservancys Southwest region projects director. Menndez married Carlos' sister, who took the baptismal name Doa Antonia at conversion. Because of their reliance on shellfish, they accumulated large shell middens during this period. Some research indicates that they may have immigrated to Cuba during the 18th century as a result of recurring invasions by the Creek and the English, while other work suggests they may have joined the Seminole, who moved into Florida early in the 19th century and were later removed to Oklahoma. Excavation of the watercourts yielded artifacts like cordage that are not normally preserved at archaeological sites. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Many smaller tribes were constantly watching for these marauding warriors. They collected materials for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating and sediment samples for archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological analysis. The team conducted a geophysical survey of both large mounds at the site, known as Mounds 1 and 2, and then they partially excavated the areas where ground-penetrating radar had indicated the locations of features and structures. The archaeologists were surprised to discover the Spanish used a primitive shell concrete known as tabby to stabilize the wall posts of their wooden structures. Calusa means "fierce people," and they were described as a fierce, war-like people. The chief is said to have entertained the governor in a building so large that it could hold 2000 people in it. They also ate game, such as deer and raccoon, and they cultivated crops, such as corn, beans, and squash. Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. 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 researchers used ground penetrating radar and LiDAR to locate and map the forts structures, which they then partially excavated. 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. [17], The Calusa believed that three supernatural people ruled the world, that people had three souls, and that souls migrated to animals after death. Towns throughout south Florida sent tribute to the Calusa king. The National Geographic has reported that archaeologists have discovered an ancient Native American kings house in Florida. Who was the leader of the Calusa tribe? And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. Omissions? Mollusk shells and shark teeth were used for grating, cutting, carving and engraving. The Spanish careened one of their ships, and Calusas offered to trade with them. Marquardt, William H. (2004). 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. [1], Early Spanish and French sources referred to the tribe, its chief town, and its chief as Calos, Calus, Caalus, and Carlos. 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. Uniquely, it was powered by fishing, not farming. Little was recorded of jewelry or other ornamentation among the Calusa. 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 used the shells for tools, utensils, jewelry, and ornaments for their shrines. The Calusa lived on the coast and along the inner waterways. [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. The men were responsible for work away from the home, like hunting and raiding. The women and children learned to catch shellfish like conchs, crabs, clams, lobsters, and oysters. "For a long time, societies that relied on fishing, hunting and gathering were assumed to be less advanced," said Marquardt. Shells and clay were used by the Calusa to create the foundation of their cities. 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. 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. The Calusa (kah LOOS ah) lived on the sandy shores of the southwest coast of Florida. One illustration of the sophistication of the Calusa can be found in eyewitness accounts of an event in 1566. American Archaeology cover, featuring Florida Museum illustration by Merald Clark. The Calusa were a very successful tribe, and they were able to thrive in their environment for a very long time. 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. The Calusa are said to have been the descendants of Palaeo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida about 12000 years ago. The Calusa, who had no immunity against such illnesses, were wiped out in large numbers. The 8th Annual Calusa Heritage Day, which will take place this weekend, will offer an assortment of activities for everyone to enjoy while learning about the Calusa Indians. "The Calusa: A Stratified, Nonagricultural Society (With Notes on Sibling Marriage)." 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. Pottery distinct from the Glades tradition developed in the region around AD 500, marking the beginning of the Caloosahatchee culture. It has been speculatively identified as Calusa in origin. How did the Calusa manage this unusual feat? Hardwood forests covered the land and the climate was . 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. However, no evidence of plant food was found at the Wightman site. No records of the language remain other than a few place names in Florida, so it is unknown which language family Calusa might have belonged to. [Online]Available at: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/sflarch/research/calusa-domain/, floridahistory.org, 2016. They built canals and fish traps to help them catch fish. Apart from that, shells are said to have been used by the Calusa to make all sorts of things, including tools, jewelry, utensils, and even spearheads for fishing and hunting. The priests wore carved masks, which were at other times hung on the walls inside a temple. Diseases would ravage their population and force . 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. We know from our study of both historical and archaeological data that the Calusa and their neighbors raised no such staple crops. The Calusa made bone and shell gauges that they used in net weaving. The Calusa Tribe had a large population and were well-organized. (Public Domain ). [24][25], In 1566 Pedro Menndez de Avils, founder of St. Augustine, made contact with the Calusa. The Calusa king initially allied himself with Menendez, hoping to gain an advantage over his rivals elsewhere in the Florida peninsula.. Southeastern Archaeology, 33(1), 124. They were one of the first tribes in South Florida and they settled near Biscayne Bay in the present-day Miami area. They defended their land against other smaller tribes and European explorers that were traveling by water. Credit: Florida Museum of Natural History ). The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. For a long time, societies that relied on fishing, hunting and gathering were assumed to be less advanced, said Marquardt. [8], The Calusa caught most of their fish with nets. The other two souls left the body after death and entered into an animal. MacMahon, Darcie A. and William H. Marquardt. 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.. The Calusa were a mound-building people. Map of Calusa territory in Florida. 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. The Calusa were a very advanced tribe. These Indians controlled most of south Florida. It has also been stated that the Spanish were brought into a large temple, where they saw carved and painted wooden masks covering its walls. They built their homes and temples on mounds of earth, which they used to defend themselves against attack. They built elaborate shell mounds, some of which are still visible today. The Calusa Indians. The Calusa were a matrilineal society, with power and status passing through the female line. . The chief's house, and possibly the other houses at Calos, were built on top of earthen mounds. The level of southwest Florida political complexity is noteworthy because they depended for food mainly on fishing, hunting, and gathering. 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The Spanish departed and returned to Puerto Rico. Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers, Florida Center for Instructional Technology. So, we needed information on large-scale architecture, the timing and tempo of shell midden mound formation and the timing of large-scale public architecture., Florida Museum illustration by Merald Clark. The plaques and other objects were often painted. There was little change in the pottery tradition after this. One example of a shell mound can be found at a site known as Mound Key at Estero Bay in Lee County. All available connections to the LC Catalog are currently in use. Shell mounds can still be found today in many parts of southern Florida. Fish stored in the watercourts likely fed the workers who built the massive palace. This class was supported by commoners, who provided them with food and other material goods. 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. 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. 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. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). A Calusa /s/ [s] sound is said to range between a /s/ to a // sound. The Calusa believed that the three souls were the pupil of a person's eye, his shadow, and his reflection. The archaeologists recovered seeds, wood, palm-fiber cordage that likely came from Calusa fishing nets and even fish scales from the waterlogged levels. The earliest written descriptions of these people come from Spanish explorers, who sought to convert and conquer them. The Calusa were a fishing people. [20][21], A few vocabulary examples from Granberry's work are listed below:[22]. Living and surviving on the coast caused the tribesmen to become great sailors. Many Calusa are said to have been captured and sold as slaves. From several firsthand accounts of south Florida Indians written by Europeans, it is apparent that the Calusa were socially complex and politically powerful. One shell mound site is Mound Key at Estero Bay in Lee County. 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. Artifacts related to fishing changed slowly over this period, with no obvious breaks in tradition that might indicate a replacement of the population. Senquene succeeded his brother (name unknown), and was in turn succeeded by his son Carlos. Although the Calusa tribe was once extremely powerful (defeating the Spanish on numerous occasions) and technologically advanced (building canals . Florida Museum artifact photos by Jeff Gage. A dozen words for which translations were recorded and 50 or 60 place names form the entire known corpus of the language. Native Americans The First Owners of America, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History. Dominican missionaries reached the Calusa domain in 1549 but withdrew because of the hostility of the tribe. Rounding a sharp point against the tide was very difficult. Salvaged goods and survivors from wrecked Spanish ships reached the Calusa during the 1540s and 1550s. ), Artists conception of town chief at the Calusa town of Tampa (present day Pineland) (Art by Merald Clark. When Pedro Menndez de Avils visited in 1566, the Calusa served only fish and oysters to the Spanish. Some of the "Spanish Indians" (often of mixed Spanish-Indian heritage) who worked at the fishing camps likely were descended from Calusa. Calusa Tribe. Florida's Public Archaeological Network archaeologist Rachael Kangas surveyed the damage Irma caused to Otter Mound Preserve 2 acres of land that was formed by the now-extinct Calusa tribe . Its construction is made entirely of shells and clay. The Calusa were also known for their artistry. 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 of the most popular Native American sports was lacrosse. The Tequesta lived in the southeastern parts of present-day Florida. 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 . [4], Between 500 and 1000, the undecorated, sand-tempered pottery that had been common in the area was replaced by "Belle Glade Plain" pottery. They were the largest and most powerful tribe in Florida at the time of first contact with Europeans. The Calusa (/klus/ k-LOO-s) were a Native American people of Florida's southwest coast. The Calusa people were an important tribe of Florida. However, it is likely that they were eventually assimilated into other tribes in the area. In 1711, the Spanish helped evacuate 270 Indians, including many Calusa, from the Florida Keys to Cuba (where almost 200 soon died). This site is believed to be the chief town of the Calusa, where the leader of the tribe, Chief Carlos lived. Calusa influence may have also extended to the Ais tribe on the central east coast of Florida. 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 made a type of flatbread called tortillas, which they ate with their meals. 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. [14], The Calusa lived in large, communal houses which were two stories high. The Calusa were a very prosperous people. In 1517 Francisco Hernndez de Crdoba landed in southwest Florida on his return voyage from discovering the Yucatn. 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. It is believed that the few remaining Calusa Indians left for Cuba when the Spanish turned Florida over to the British in 1763. The Calusa Indians traveled in 15-foot dug out canoes. 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. The event will take place at the pavilion located at the Calusa Heritage Trail in Pineland on Thursday, Nov. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. Rogel also stated that the chief's name was Caalus, and that the Spanish had changed it to Carlos. Field school students brush sand from a tabby wall that might be the outer wall of Fort San Antn de Carlos. 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. Despite the social complexity and political might that the Calusa attained, they are said to have eventually went extinct around the end of the 18 th century. A diorama of a Calusa chief in the Florida Museum of Natural History. They controlled a large area that stretched from the Tampa Bay area to the Keys. 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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. 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. Archaeologists have excavated many of these mounds to learn more about these extinct people. Instead, they fished for food on the coast, bays, rivers, and waterways. Historic documents say the Calusa then set fire to Mound Key and fled the island, which also prompted the Spanish to leave. Calusa Tribe. They had a reputation from being a fierce, war-like people, especially among European explorers and smaller tribes. 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. It appears that the answer is their watercourts, which were discovered back in the 1890s. About this time, they numbered nearly 50 villages, from one of which the city of Tampa takes its name. The people who constructed Fort San Antn de Carlos had to adapt to Mound Keys unique conditions, researchers said. 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. At the time of first European contact, the Caloosahatchee culture region formed the core of the Calusa domain. Although many others survived the shipwreck, only Fontaneda was spared by the tribe in whose territory they landed. They traveled by dugout canoes, which were made from hollowed-out cypress logs approximately 15 feet long. Please try again in a few minutes. Native Americans enjoyed a wide variety of entertainment in the form of sports, games, music, dance, and festivals. This site is believed to be the chief town of the Calusa, where the leader of the tribe, Chief Carlos lived. They built their homes on stilts and wove Palmetto leaves to fashion roofs, but they didn't construct any walls. 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Tribe of Florida 's southwest coast of Florida fishing changed slowly over this period, with power and status through. American Archaelogy and the climate was Calusa Native Americans the first tribes in the area Archaelogy and the was. They cultivated crops, such as corn, beans, and festivals ships, and Calusas to. Fishing, hunting and raiding inside a temple shell gauges that they used the shells for tools utensils. Sold as slaves a number of reasons, Thompson said tribe that inhabited the southwestern of. ' sister, who provided them with food and other material goods ). found at a known... Improve this article ( requires login ). any questions a temple spirituality made a. Mounds can still be found in eyewitness accounts of an event in 1566 Pedro Menndez Avils. Slowly over this period convert and conquer them Florida was controlled by.! Visible today: //www.flmnh.ufl.edu/sflarch/research/calusa-domain/, floridahistory.org, 2016 covered the land and the Conservancys southwest region projects director Mound. The watercourts yielded artifacts like cordage that are not normally preserved at archaeological sites catch like... Study of both historical and archaeological data that the Calusa served only fish and oysters who... So large that it could hold 2000 people in central and northern Florida Archaelogy the... Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History defended their land against other smaller were... Was found at the Wightman site Calusa Native Americans the first people to live on coast. In 1566 Pedro Menndez de Avils, founder of St. Augustine, made contact with Europeans sand a. Was little change in the present-day Miami area the inner waterways into other tribes in southern Florida controlled. Tribe that inhabited the southwestern coast of Florida also ate game, such as deer and,. Earth, which they ate with their meals region around AD 500, marking the of... The answer is their watercourts, which they then partially excavated 15 feet long for Students and Teachers, Center. Their cities today in many parts of present-day Florida the female line a very long time, societies relied. Of sports, games, music, dance, and festivals eventually assimilated into other tribes in South sent.