The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Photo by Alina Zienowicz . 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. 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. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2004. A Calusa /s/ [s] sound is said to range between a /s/ to a // sound. For the purposes of this research project I will compare and contrast three specific categories for each tribe in order to show how they were either similar or different from one another. The men and boys of the tribe made nets from palm tree webbing to catch mullet, pinfish, pigfish, and catfish. 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. Missions to the Calusa, edited and translated by John H. Hann. Be notified when an answer is posted. Dominican missionaries reached the Calusa domain in 1549 but withdrew because of the hostility of the tribe. We do not fully understand the complexities of what happened to them. Though eschewing agriculture once. Calusa society developed from that of archaic peoples of the Everglades region. The Jesuit Menendez noted that in the early hours of the morning, Carlos would sit on a stool with his people around him to discuss the ideas presented by the missionaries. The site of the excavation appears to be linked with Calusa ceremonialism and was one location at which wooden carvings, probably used in ritual, were housed. Philadelphia, PA 19104 A Spanish expedition to ransom some captives held by the Calusa in 1680 was forced to turn back; neighboring tribes refused to guide the Spanish, for fear of retaliation by the Calusa. In addition, elaborate rituals with synchronized singing and processions of masked priests were also carried out on that occasion. 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.. In 1987, the Tribe approved a constitution and began to lay the groundwork for a self-sufficiency plan. At the time of European contact in the 16th and 17th centuries, the historic Calusa were the people of the Caloosahatchee culture. It was reputed in local legend to be the seat of the god Wotan and to be haunted. The Calusa Indians were descendants of Paleo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida approximately 12,000 years ago. Photograph by Amanda Roberts Thompson, courtesy Florida Museum of Natural History The Calusa also famously resisted colonization and conversion. Little is known about Calusa religion. 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. Wiki User. The Calusa leader, Calus (called Carlos II by the Spaniards), agrees to accept a Jesuit missionary among his people, but the Calusa refuse to . The Calusa king, or head chief, was an absolute ruler. [Online]Available at: http://floridahistory.org/indians.htm, Marquardt, W. H., 2014. Little is known about Calusa religion. This article is good but it does not provide any data related to the status of the Calusa people at the first arrival of Spaniards in 1513 leaded by Juan Ponce de Leon, its "discoverer". Known for their equestrian skills and bravery in battle, they played a crucial role in expanding the empire and establishing its dominance. 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.. A reconstruction of a Calusa home and terraces, on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. At first, there must have been an uneasy tolerance of one another, as the Spanish built their fort, Marquardt explained. The architectural remains of the kings house were relatively easy to find, but difficult to interpret at first, Marquardt said. This tribe of Indians controlled most of Southwest Florida and created an elaborate network of canals, homes, and government. Calusa means "fierce people," and they were described as a fierce, war-like people. (*) denotes earlier century Calusa language records. Native American tattoos The Calusa may have been the only ancient people in North America who established a kingdom without practicing agriculture. MacMahon, Darcie A. and William H. Marquardt. One of the most notable traditions of the Calusa was their use of shell mounds. The researchers used ground penetrating radar and LiDAR to locate and map the forts structures, which they then partially excavated. google_ad_slot = "7815442998"; Because of their reliance on shellfish, they accumulated large shell middens during this period. The Calusa kingdom had an estimated 20,000 people and ranks among the most politically complex groups of hunter-gatherers of the historic world. Florida's climate had reached current conditions and the sea had risen close to its present level by about 3000 BC. They also cored sediments on and off the island to help describe and date environmental changes during the sites occupation. 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 Unlike most Florida Indian tribes . [4], The Calusa had a stratified society, consisting of "commoners" and "nobles" in Spanish terms. Five friars who stayed in the chief's house in 1697 complained that the roof let in the rain, sun and dew. The chief had many wives: one principal wife and others given to him by surrounding villages. Along the southwest Gulf coast lived the Calusa (Caloosa) Indians. Spanish admiral Pedro Menndez de Avils (1519-1574) by Francisco de Paula Mart (1762-1827) ( Public Domain ). We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Previous indigenous cultures had lived in the area for thousands of years. 8, 9). This lasted until about 1750, and included the historic Calusa people. As for the southern region, my focus was on the Calusa Indians from the south-western Florida peninsula area. Did the Calusa farm? The Calusa were a fascinating Native American people who populated the southwestern coast of Florida. 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. 01 Mar 2023 , 3260 South Street Tracking the Calusa: A Retrospective. The finds tell us of Calusa fishing techniques, of the tools used to produce their wooden carvings, of architecture, ceremonialism, and daily life. [Online]Available at: http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/calusa/calusa1.htm, Florida Museum of Natural History, 2016. 2). Uniquely, it was powered by fishing, not farming. After ten days a man who spoke Spanish approached Ponce de Len's ships with a request to wait for the arrival of the Calusa chief. Fish stored in the watercourts likely fed the workers who built the massive palace. 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. (2004). The other two souls left the body after death and entered into an animal. The priests wore carved masks, which were at other times hung on the walls inside a temple. He struck an uneasy peace with their leader Caluus, or Carlos. This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 15:27. The fort is the only Spanish structure built atop a shell mound in Florida. The Southeast is one of 10 culture areas that scholars use to study the Indigenous peoples of the United States and Canada. 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. Openings in the berms likely allowed the Calusa to drive fish into the enclosures for short-term storage, and then they closed those openings with nets and wooden gates. 3). They are a tribe. 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. The Calusa kingdom was eventually devastated by European diseases as well as slave raids by enemy tribes. 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. Map of Calusa territory in Florida. "Chapter 10. This article first appeared in the magazines fall 2020 issue. The women were responsible for work around the house, like cooking and raising the children. Additionally, it has been pointed out that tribute was sent to this chief from other tribes in south Florida. However, they would suffer the same fate as many of the other Native American tribes. The mission was closed after only a few months. //-->. The soul in the eye's pupil stayed with the body after death, and the Calusa would consult with that soul at the graveside. 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. Their territory ranged from Tampa Bay south to the Ten Thousand Islands and as far east as Lake Okeechobee. After each meal, these shells were put to good use as building material and tools. They collected materials for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating and sediment samples for archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological analysis. (Public Domain ). The Spanish A research project has finally solved an archaeological mystery in America . 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. Their territory was bounded in northwest Florida by the Aucilla and Ochlockonee rivers, and . According to Menendez, in 1566 the town of Calos contained a central mound where special masks were kept and where human sacrifices were made. Want this question answered? Each human had three souls, present in his shadow, his reflection in water and in the pupil of his eye. Unlike other Indian tribes, the Calusa did not make many. In several cases where the waterlogged objects dried and disintegrated into unrecognizable forms, the paintings and photographs provide the only surviving record (see Fig. 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 Indians. [24][25], In 1566 Pedro Menndez de Avils, founder of St. Augustine, made contact with the Calusa. Most spectacular are 9 carved and painted animal heads, some of which were probably worn as masks or headdresses on ceremonial occasions; others probably functioned as architectural elements. Suffer the same fate as many of the United States and Canada shell mounds //fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/calusa/calusa1.htm, Florida Museum of hostility! Other tribes in south Florida its present level by about 3000 BC 20,000 people ranks... 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