While archaeologists in Florida have recovered several village sites of Calusa habitation, including burial mounds, shell ridges, canals, and plazas, The University Museums 1896 excavations at Key Marco provided extraordinary clues to our understanding of Calusa ceremonialism and daily life. ( Public Domain ). In 1763, Spain ceded Florida to England and surviving Calusas were taken to Cuba. Artist's conception of town chief at the Calusa town of Tampa (present day Pineland) (Art by Merald Clark.) The Calusa believed that the three souls were the pupil of a person's eye, his shadow, and his reflection. 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. The priests wore carved masks, which were at other times hung on the walls inside a temple. (1993). Credit: Florida Museum of Natural History ). Because the Timucua didn't use money, though, a shaman would be given such items as baskets or turkeys. He was also attacked by the Calusa. For more than 200 years, South Florida's Indians resisted Spanish domination. Among most tribes in Florida for which there is documentation, the women wore skirts made of what was later called Spanish moss. Expedition Magazine. The lifestyle of the Calusa was leisurely, and they enjoyed numerous celebrations and feasts, many of which were connected to religious ceremonies at which lavish meals were prepared. Although the Calusa came to an end, some remains of their achievements can still be seen today. The architectural remains of the kings house were relatively easy to find, but difficult to interpret at first, Marquardt said. And, although some of Cushings ideas about the Indians he had discovered and their relationship to tribes in the Caribbean and South America have not remained popular among scholars, his descriptive notes and insights are of unquestionable value. The first people to live on the island were the Calusa Native Americans, who were known as a fierce people. The Spanish departed and returned to Puerto Rico. Illustrated here, the deer, pelican, wolf, alligator, and sea turtle reveal extraordinary realism, delicacy, and gracefulness of formartistic qualities characteristic of Mississippian Period and earlier ceramic, stone, and wood sculpture excavated in the area and at sites further north (Figs. What formation processes resulted in the complex of mounds and other features there? Along the southwest Gulf coast lived the Calusa (Caloosa) Indians. They established a complex, centralized government, constructed a canal system, the beginnings of organized religion, and the creating of many art forms. People commonly occupied both fresh and saltwater wetlands. After death only the last one remained with the body to be buried with it. [2] The Tequesta tribe had only a few survivors by . 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. The chief organized warfare and possessed special and traditional religious knowledge. At first, there must have been an uneasy tolerance of one another, as the Spanish built their fort, Marquardt explained. Rituals were believed to link the Calusa to their spirit world (Art by Merald Clark.) 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, a poorly understood group of bygone Native Americans D Donna Jean Calusa Indians European Explorers University Of South Florida Gulf Coast Florida Spirit World Mexica South Florida People & Environments: The Calusa Domain: Calusa beliefs included a trinity of governing spirits. The archaeology of the Calusa is important worldwide in that it illustrates the development of very pronounced hierarchy, inequality, monumentality and large-scale infrastructure by hunter-gatherer-fisher societies, said Chris Rodning of Tulane University, who was not involved with this research. Native American names On Key Marco, among numerous mounds and ridges of earth and shell, he discovered a courtyard submerged in mud and bound by walls of conch shells. Southeastern Archaeology, 33(1), 124. Photo source: Moving to Tampa, Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida, 2002. Each human had three souls, present in his shadow, his reflection in water and in the pupil of his eye. Calusa means "fierce people," and they were described as a fierce, war-like people. The Carnac stones are an exceptionally dense collection of megalithic sites around the French village of Carnac, in Brittany, consisting of more than 3,000 prehistoric standing stones and erected by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany. The Penn Museum respectfully acknowledges that it is situated on Lenapehoking, the ancestral and spiritual homeland of the Unami Lenape. support our organization's work with endangered American Indian languages. They believed that people had three souls-in a person's eye, shadow, and their reflection in the water. Native American tribes They were descendants of Paleo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida approximately 12,000 years ago. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2004. 9). 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. Calusa Religion Birdseye View of Calusa The sun deity appears to have been a universal creator. Lucy Fowler Williams is Keeper of Collections for the American Section. The Calusas were one of the few North American Indian tribes who were ruled by a hereditary king. Chumash Tribe Facts: The Chumash Name [2], Paleo-Indians entered what is now Florida at least 12,000 years ago. google_ad_slot = "7815442998"; The process of shaping the boat was achieved by burning the middle and subsequently chopping and removing the charred center, using robust shell tools. 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 Their main waterway was the Calooshahatchee River, which means River of the Calusa. 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. 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. The Calusa kingdom was eventually devastated by European diseases as well as slave raids by enemy tribes. Native Americans of the California Coast: The Chumash By Damian Bacich The Chumash are a widespread group of California native people who lived along the southern California coast and the Santa Barbara Channel Islands. Historic documents say the Calusa then set fire to Mound Key and fled the island, which also prompted the Spanish to leave. The leaders included the paramount chief, or "king"; a military leader (capitn general in Spanish); and a chief priest. A reconstruction of a Calusa home and terraces, on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The shell mounds are an example of these remains. /* 728x15 link ad */ Fish bones and scales recovered from one of the watercourts indicate the Calusa were capturing schooling species such as mullet, pinfish and herring. The Calusa believed that their cacique was not only the leader of their tribe, but also their spiritual leader. Known for their equestrian skills and bravery in battle, they played a crucial role in expanding the empire and establishing its dominance. Engineering the courts required an intimate understanding of daily and seasonal tides, hydrology and the biology of various fish species, said Thompson. 314 Palmetto Street, Jacksonville 32202. And to what extent does the occupational and architectural history speak to broader issues of Calusa complexity? Calusa ceremonies included processions of priests and singing women. Typical Women's Work. After suffering decimation by disease, the tribe was destroyed by Creek and Yamasee raiders early in the 18th century. The Calusa were a Native American tribe that lived hundreds of years ago on the island that is now Mound Key Archaeological State Park. They also cored sediments on and off the island to help describe and date environmental changes during the sites occupation. Carlos was succeeded by his cousin (and brother-in-law) Felipe, who was in turn succeeded by another cousin of Carlos, Pedro. The walls were covered entirely with masks colored red, white, and black (Hann 1991). [26], For more than a century after the Avils adventure, there was little contact between the Spanish and Calusa. Archaeology, 57(5), 4650. 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. The Calusa Indians were descendants of Paleo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida approximately 12,000 years ago. 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. Study guides. The chief is said to have entertained the governor in a building so large that it could hold 2000 people in it. The Calusa remained committed to their belief system despite Spanish attempts to convert them to Catholicism. Menndez left a garrison of soldiers and a Jesuit mission, San Antn de Carlos, at the Calusa capital. Calusa v. Iroquois: Religious Beliefs. Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? Uniquely, it was powered by fishing, not farming. The Calusa (/klus/ k-LOO-s) were a Native American people of Florida's southwest coast. Calusa beliefs included a trinity of governing spirits. The chief also married women from subject towns and allied tribes. Rituals were believed to link the Calusa to their spirit world (Art by Merald Clark.) But our work over the past 35 years has shown the Calusa developed a politically complex society with sophisticated architecture, religion, a military, specialists, long-distance trade and social ranking all without being farmers.. At the time of the excavations Cushing did not know the name or precise age of the Indians whose world he had discovered. According to the documents, the brushwood and lumber fort encompassed some 36 structures. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. This change may have resulted from the people's migration from the interior to the coastal region, or may reflect trade and cultural influences. Tabby was later used by the English in their American colonies and in Southern plantations. In R. D. Fogelson (Ed.). Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? It is documented that their power and influence extended over . Seeing the work of the Calusa in these materials first-hand were really exciting moments for us.. Marquardt and Victor Thompson of the University of Georgia are co-directing research at Mound Key, which has a complex arrangement of shell midden mounds, canals, watercourts and other features. You could hire a shaman and pay for his services. 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. Milanich, Jerald. One is left only to imagine how lifelike these wooden figureheads must have appeared when used on ceremonial occasions. Warriors killed all the adult men. In the 1700's, infectious diseases, slaving raids and attacks by Creek and Yamasee Indians who were supplied with guns by the English, decimated the Calusa population. Approximate Calusa core area (red) and political domain (blue). Did the Calusa farm? Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider, The Irish Story and Legend of C Chulainn, What is Shambhala? It is based on the Creek and Mikasuki (languages of the present-day Seminole and Miccosukee nations) ethnonym for the people who had lived around the Caloosahatchee River (also from the Creek language). They believed in three superior beings, one controlled the weather, the others ruled the welfare of the tribe and warfare. There were engineers. The Calusa Domain. 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. For me, the work has been absolutely fantastic and since we began it has been one discovery after another, said Thompson. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Calusa were a tribe of Native Americans known as the "Shell Indians" and some of the first Floridians. Penn Museum 2023 Report Web Accessibility Issues and Get Help / Contact / Copyright / Disclaimer / Privacy /, Report Web Accessibility Issues and Get Help. Fruit and roots were gathered, and deer, bear, and raccoon were probably eaten as well. 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. 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. The Jews are not a race. In several cases where the waterlogged objects dried and disintegrated into unrecognizable forms, the paintings and photographs provide the only surviving record (see Fig. Although each tribe and region was different, the division of labor between men and women was generally similar across most of the Native American tribes. A team has uncovered the foundations of a large dwelling and this is As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. The Calusa used the canals to travel by canoe from their villages and ceremonial centers to coastal trading posts. One of the most notable traditions of the Calusa was their use of shell mounds. Calusa Protective Spell-Tampa This piece of folklore came from my co-worker, who grew up in Tampa, Florida. The men were responsible for work away from the home, like hunting and raiding. google_ad_client = "pub-8872632675285158"; [Online]Available at: http://floridahistory.org/indians.htm, Marquardt, W. H., 2014. It is recorded that in that year, the Calusa chief formed an alliance with the Spanish governor, Menndez de Avils. They determined that the enclosures, which were built on a foundation of oyster shells, walled off portions of the estuary, serving as traps and short-term holding pens for fish before they were eaten, smoked, or dried for later consumption. The chief's house, and possibly the other houses at Calos, were built on top of earthen mounds. 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 canals were maintained until the mid-1700s, when the tribe disappeared from . 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