From several firsthand accounts of south Florida Indians written by Europeans, it is apparent that the Calusa were socially complex and politically powerful. 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. The Calusa kingdom was eventually devastated by European diseases as well as slave raids by enemy tribes. 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. Please try again in a few minutes. 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. The Calusa were also very warriors. Conversion would have destroyed the source of their authority and legitimacy. For me, the work has been absolutely fantastic and since we began it has been one discovery after another, said Thompson. We began with a basic set of questions, said Marquardt. ), Recommended Books, Videos & Places to Visit. Commoners supported the nobility and provided them with food and other material necessities. By contrast, at an inland site, Platt Island, mammals (primarily deer) accounted for more than 60 percent of the energy from animal meat, while fish provided just under 20 percent. It was not conserved and is in poor shape, but it is displayed at the nature center in Marathon. In. The Calusa were a trading people. Wu Mingren (Dhwty) has a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and Archaeology. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. The Calusa: "The Shell Indians" The Calusa (kah LOOS ah) lived on the sandy shores of the southwest coast of Florida. They were one of the first tribes in South Florida and they settled near Biscayne Bay in the present-day Miami area. How did the Calusa manage this unusual feat? People commonly occupied both fresh and saltwater wetlands. Calusa is an extinct Amerindian language of Florida. ), Artists conception of Calusa people preparing for fishing in the estuary (Art by Merald Clark. [Online]Available at: http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/calusa/calusa1.htm, Florida Museum of Natural History, 2016. In 1521, Ponce de Len returned to southwest Florida to plant a colony, but the Calusa drove the Spanish out, mortally wounding Ponce de Len. They were a fishing and shell-gathering people, and they ate a variety of seafood that they caught in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, diseases such as smallpox and measles were brought into the area from the Spanish and French explorers and these diseases wiped out entire villages. [14], The Calusa lived in large, communal houses which were two stories high. They also hunted deer, bear, and other animals. Menndez left a garrison of soldiers and a Jesuit mission, San Antn de Carlos, at the Calusa capital. 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. By the year 1600, they were carrying on regular trade with Havana, Cuba. The Calusa: "The Shell Indians". "For a long time, societies that relied on fishing, hunting and gathering were assumed to be less advanced," said Marquardt. 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 also made fish traps, weirs, and fish corrals from wood and cord. 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. However, we can make some estimates based on what we know about their culture and the environment in which they lived. Milanich, Jerald. The Calusa were a mound-building people, who constructed large, artificial mounds of earth and shells. The Calusa Indians did not farm like the other Indian tribes in Florida. 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. One of the most notable traditions of the Calusa was their use of shell mounds. 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. They were also a very skilled traders and fishermen, and were able to exploit the natural resources of the region to their advantage. The Calusa were well established, with a population of several thousand. Fish stored in the watercourts likely fed the workers who built the massive palace. The best information about the Calusa comes from the Memoir of Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, one of these survivors. Well take a look at a few such legends, including those among the Choctaw and the Comanches of the United States down to the Manta of Peru. Archaeology, 57(5), 4650. The Spanish careened one of their ships, and Calusas offered to trade with them. One of the most popular Native American sports was lacrosse. 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. Although they lived in complex societies, little evidence of their existence remains today. 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. The first Spanish explorers found that these Indians were not very friendly. They made fish bone arrowheads to hunt for animals such as deer. 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. Julian Granberry has suggested that the Calusa language was related to the Tunica language of the lower Mississippi River Valley. A Calusa /s/ [s] sound is said to range between a /s/ to a // sound. [2], Paleo-Indians entered what is now Florida at least 12,000 years ago. 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. 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. Fort San Anton de Carlos is the first example of the use of tabby in North America. By 880, a complex society had developed with high population densities. 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. The explorers soon became the targets of the Calusa attacks. The drove back multiple conquistadors and had control of nearby tribes. The two largest native groups were the Timucua and the Calusa. 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. One of the causes of this was the raids conducted by rival tribes from Georgia and South Carolina. Their estimated population in 1650 was 3,000 living in 50 villages. The Calusa were more powerful in number . Additionally, it has been suggested that the population of this tribe may have reached 50000 people at one point of time. [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. Her story is filled with drama, intrigue, and tragedy, and her influence on the course of English history is undeniable. Where was the chief of the Calusa tribe? 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. 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. [Online]Available at: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/sflarch/research/calusa-domain/, floridahistory.org, 2016. Today, the word "Aryan" has become synonymous with all sorts of negative connotations, including theories of racial superiority and white supremacy. The Calusa remained committed to their belief system despite Spanish attempts to convert them to Catholicism. The 2017 excavations were really exciting for a number of reasons, Thompson said. Tracking the Calusa: A Retrospective. Native Americans enjoyed a wide variety of entertainment in the form of sports, games, music, dance, and festivals. 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 . [20][21], A few vocabulary examples from Granberry's work are listed below:[22]. These Indians controlled most of south Florida. You will be redirected to the LC Catalog start page shortly, or continue by clicking the following link: LC Catalog I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, What's your favourite Fairy Tales (and their possible origins), about Archaeologists Verify Location of Elusive Spanish Fort at Florida's Mound Key, about Ingeniously Engineered Watercourts Fueled Floridas Calusa Kingdom, about Grand Ceremonial House of the King of the Calusa People Has Been Located in Florida, The Macuahuitl: An Aztec Warriors Lethal and Sacred Weapon (Video), The Weirdest Rules of Royal French Etiquette (Video), The Life and Times of Mansa Musa: The Richest Man in History, Inside the Sacred Tomb of Newgrange: A Fascinating Look at Prehistoric Ireland (Video), 1,000-Year-Old Native American Canoe Recovered in North Carolina Lake, Norse Greenlanders Traveled to North America and Europe for Timber for Five Centuries, Ancient Race of White Giants Described in Native Legends From Many Tribes, 10 Supernatural Powers from the Deities of World Mythology, 5 Pagan Traditions That Will Leave You Spellbound (Video), Debunking the Aryan Race Myth and Separating Fact from Fiction, The Truth Behind the Terrifying Legend of the Rat King, Adventist Adventurer Claimed to Have Found Ark of the Covenant Beneath Crucifixion Site, 6 Advanced Ancient Inventions Beyond Modern Understanding, Gabon: The Home of Ancient Nuclear Reactors. When the Spanish arrived in Florida in the early 16 th century, the Calusa were already in possession of a complex centralized government. The Calusa Indians traveled in 15-foot dug out canoes. One of the most important ceremonies was the Green Corn Dance, which was held to celebrate the harvest. Radiocarbon dating of carbonized wood, a deer bone and a shell verified the forts mid-16th-century date. [2] The Tequesta tribe had only a few survivors by . They were the largest and most powerful tribe in Florida at the time of first contact with Europeans. These Indians controlled most of south Florida. Their dwellings were of wood, built on piles, and their sacred buildings were erected on flat-topped mounds. Corrections? And to what extent does the occupational and architectural history speak to broader issues of Calusa complexity? 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. In their early period there is evidence of sacrifice of captives and of cannibalism. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. These small fish were supplemented by larger bony fish, sharks and rays, mollusks, crustaceans, ducks, sea turtles and land turtles, and land animals. Archaeologists have excavated many of these mounds to learn more about these extinct people. They created a variety of crafts, including jewelry, masks, and canoes. One answer is found in the productive estuarine environment of the southwest Florida Gulf coast. [1], Early Spanish and French sources referred to the tribe, its chief town, and its chief as Calos, Calus, Caalus, and Carlos. The Calusa were a Native American people who lived in what is now the southern U.S. state of Florida. When Pedro Menndez de Avils visited in 1566, the Calusa served only fish and oysters to the Spanish. 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 spoke a dialect of the Muskogean language family. [26], For more than a century after the Avils adventure, there was little contact between the Spanish and Calusa. (1993). Image by Pat Payne for American Archaeology. Florida of the Indians. 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. They built canals and fish traps to help them catch fish. 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. This language family includes languages spoken by Native American tribes in the Southeastern United States, including the Alabama, Coushatta, Koasati, and Mikasuki languages. 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 site is believed to be the chief town of the Calusa, where the leader of the tribe, Chief Carlos lived. Inside a great temple, they observed walls covered by carved and painted wooden masks. The Calusa were a Native American people who lived in southwest Florida from about 500 BC to 1500 AD. The Calusa resisted physical encroachment and spiritual conversion by the Spanish and their missionaries for almost 200 years. What did the Calusa Indians do for a living? The Calusa Indians were originally called the "Calos" which means "Fierce People". The process of shaping the boat was achieved by burning the middle and subsequently chopping and removing the charred center, using robust shell tools. Mansa Musa, the ruler of the Mali Empire in the 14th century, is believed to be the wealthiest person in history, with a net worth of $400 billion in today's dollars. The population of this tribe may have reached as many as 50,000 people. Carlos was succeeded by his cousin (and brother-in-law) Felipe, who was in turn succeeded by another cousin of Carlos, Pedro. 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. Many Calusa are said to have been captured and sold as slaves. The Calusa were a Native American people who inhabited what is now known as southwestern Florida. 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. Unlike other Indian tribes, the Calusa did not make many pottery items. Granberry has provided an inventory of phonemes to the sounds of the Calusa language.[22][21]. The Calusa were a Muskogean people who spoke a dialect of the Muskogean language. Sadly, the Calusa Tribe was devastated by European diseases that were brought to their area. Five friars who stayed in the chief's house in 1697 complained that the roof let in the rain, sun and dew. 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. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. With the tribe's diappearance, the canals fell into disrepair. The Calusa wove nets from palm-fiber cord. 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. The population of this tribe may have reached as many as 50,000 people. In R. D. Fogelson (Ed.). While a few Calusa individuals may have stayed behind and been absorbed into the Seminole, no documentation supports that. Directly beneath the chief was the nobility. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. More were evacuated to Cuba, where many of them died. Tabby was an Old World concrete consisting of lime from burned shells mixed with sand, ash, water and broken shells. 150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time? The Caloosahatchee culture inhabited the Florida west coast from Estero Bay to Charlotte Harbor and inland about halfway to Lake Okeechobee, approximately covering what are now Charlotte and Lee counties. Calusa society developed from that of archaic peoples of the Everglades region. The capital of the Calusa, and where the rulers administered from, was Mound Key, near present day Estero, Florida. 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. Hence, the Calusa are sometimes called the Shell People / Indians. Favored sites were likely occupied for multiple generations. 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. Spanish admiral Pedro Menndez de Avils (1519-1574) by Francisco de Paula Mart (1762-1827) ( Public Domain ). Two centuries later, they were regarded as veritable pirates, plundering and killing without mercy the crews of all vessels, excepting the Spanish, so unfortunate as to be stranded in their neighborhood. However, they would suffer the same fate as many of the other Native American tribes. Tamara Jager Stewart is the assistant editor of American Archaelogy and the Conservancys Southwest region projects director. Many smaller tribes were constantly watching for these marauding warriors. The men and boys of the tribe made nets from palm tree webbing to catch mullet, pinfish, pigfish, and catfish. Diseases would ravage their population and force . The Calusa (/klus/ k-LOO-s) were a Native American people of Florida's southwest coast. The Calusa were a matrilineal society, with power and status passing through the female line. The Carolinan colonists supplied firearms to the Creek and Yemasee, but the Calusa, who had isolated themselves from Europeans, had none. Towns throughout south Florida sent tribute to the Calusa king. The Calusa occupied the southwest region, while the Tequesta, Jega, and Ais tribes were located along the east coast of Southern Florida. 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. Marquardt, Thompson and other University of Georgia colleagues and students began fieldwork at Mound Key in 2013, funded by the National Geographic Society. The Calusa made bone and shell gauges that they used in net weaving. For a long time, societies that relied on fishing, hunting and gathering were assumed to be less advanced, said Marquardt. 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. We do not fully understand the complexities of what happened to them. Calusa ceremonies included processions of priests and singing women. Widmer cites George Murdock's estimate that only some 20 percent of the Calusa diet consisted of wild plants that they gathered. Their immune systems lacked antibodies to fight off European diseases. The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. A reconstruction of a Calusa home and terraces, on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Artifacts such as shell tools, weapons, and ornaments are on display in many Florida history museums. 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. 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. What formation processes resulted in the complex of mounds and other features there? The Calusa were a very advanced tribe. What happened to these fierce sailing Indians? [7] The contemporary archeologists MacMahon and Marquardt suggest this statement may have been a misunderstanding of a requirement to marry a "clan-sister". In 1711, the Spanish helped evacuate 270 Indians, including many Calusa, from the Florida Keys to Cuba (where almost 200 soon died). The Spanish documented four cases of known succession to the position of paramount chief, recording most names in Spanish form. At the time of first European contact, the Caloosahatchee culture region formed the core of the Calusa domain. Known as the first shell collectors, the Calusa used shells as tools, utensils, building materials, vessels for domestic and ceremonial use and for personal adornment. The missionaries recognized that having a Calusa man cut his hair upon converting to Christianity (and European style) would be a great sacrifice. 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. The other two souls left the body after death and entered into an animal. The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. Mollusk shells and shark teeth were used for grating, cutting, carving and engraving. The Calusa were also known to sail up and down the west coast salvaging the wealth from shipwrecks. 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. Additionally, it has been pointed out that tribute was sent to this chief from other tribes in south Florida. In 1697 Franciscan missionaries established a mission to the Calusa but left after a few months.[27]. Shell mounds can still be found today in many parts of southern Florida. This tribe was the first one that the Spanish explorers wrote home about in 1513. The level of southwest Florida political complexity is noteworthy because they depended for food mainly on fishing, hunting, and gathering. [13][11] Artifacts of wood that have been found include bowls, ear ornaments, masks, plaques, "ornamental standards", and a finely carved deer head. Ravaged by new infectious diseases introduced to the Americas by European contact and by the slaving raids, the surviving Calusa retreated south and east. 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. [Online]Available at: http://floridahistory.org/indians.htm, Marquardt, W. H., 2014. 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. "The Calusa: A Stratified, Nonagricultural Society (With Notes on Sibling Marriage)." This site is believed to have been the capital of the Calusa, as well as its military stronghold and ceremonial center. The Muskogean language family is also spoken by the Seminole tribe of Florida. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. 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