Wiki User. Rituals were believed to link the Calusa to their spirit world (Art by Merald Clark.) The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. (1993). Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses? An anonymous account mentions an autumn ceremony in which dancers wore animal masks (Coggin and Sturtevant 1964). When the Spanish arrived in Florida in the early 16 th century, the Calusa were already in possession of a complex centralized government. 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. 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. For more than 200 years, South Florida's Indians resisted Spanish domination. google_ad_width = 728; Different tribes had different names for the sport including . 2013-09-27 21:18:35. Water World. [16], Ceremonial or otherwise artistic masks have been discovered and were previously described by the Spanish who first encountered the Calusa. Although many others survived the shipwreck, only Fontaneda was spared by the tribe in whose territory they landed. Cultivated gourds were used as net floats, and sinkers and net weights were made from mollusk shells. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Calusa was a powerful, complex society who lived on the shores of the southwest Florida coast. The men were responsible for work away from the home, like hunting and raiding. Calusa Tribe. [5] A few leaders governed the tribe. [1], Early Spanish and French sources referred to the tribe, its chief town, and its chief as Calos, Calus, Caalus, and Carlos. For me, the work has been absolutely fantastic and since we began it has been one discovery after another, said Thompson. The Calusa were a Native American tribe that lived hundreds of years ago on the island that is now Mound Key Archaeological State Park. Since it seems to be working, many people still believe in the legend. Previous indigenous cultures had lived in the area for thousands of years. The Calusa people's diet consisted mainly of fish and shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico and its many waterways. It was not conserved and is in poor shape, but it is displayed at the nature center in Marathon. What did the Calusa tribe believe in? Now, there is a lot of garbage and misinformation on the Internet no matter what . They developed a complex culture based on estuarine fisheries rather than agriculture. The Calusa painted their bodies on a regular basis, but there was no report of tattooing among them. //-->. 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. No Zamia pollen has been found at any site associated with the Calusas, nor does Zamia grow in the wetlands that made up most of the Calusa environment. Archaeological techniques were not very well defined in Cushings day, and though he took detailed notes of his findings, information on the stratigraphy of the site was not recorded. 10 Innovative Medieval Weapons: You Would Not Want To Be At The Sharp End Of These! Did the Calusa farm? Expedition Magazine. [26], For more than a century after the Avils adventure, there was little contact between the Spanish and Calusa. 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. Are there any Calusa people left? There was little change in the pottery tradition after this. The Horsemen of Oyo were legendary warriors who served the Oyo Empire of West Africa. 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. The Franciscans established a mission there in the late 17th century, but the Calusa evicted them after a few months time. [Online]Available at: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/sflarch/research/calusa-domain/, floridahistory.org, 2016. Mollusk shells and shark teeth were used for grating, cutting, carving and engraving. Southeastern Archaeology, 33(1), 124. The Calusa persisted for another century in isolation, but eventually succumbed to slave raids by Creek Indians from the north and exposure to diseases they brought. While estimates vary, their population probably numbered between 4,000 and 10,000. A Calusa alligator head carved out of wood, excavated at Key Marco in 1895, on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The Tequesta lived in the southeastern parts of present-day Florida. Rituals were believed to link the Calusa to their spirit world ( Art by Merald Clark. The CalusaPeople of the Estuary. The Calusas were one of the few North American Indian tribes who were ruled by a hereditary king. 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. They also cored sediments on and off the island to help describe and date environmental changes during the sites occupation. They built many villages at the mouth of the Miami River and along the coastal islands. After each meal, these shells were put to good use as building material and tools. It's also rich with the history and culture of the Calusa Indians, the Native Americans who preceded us, even if their footprints are a bit blurry. Widmer cites George Murdock's estimate that only some 20 percent of the Calusa diet consisted of wild plants that they gathered. 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. Instead, they fished for food on the coast, bays, rivers, and waterways. The capital of the Calusa, and where the rulers administered from, was Mound Key, near present day Estero, Florida. The Calusas as Shell Indians The Calusas are considered to be the first "shell collectors." Shells were discarded into huge heaps. This lasted until about 1750, and included the historic Calusa people. The Calusa are said to have been the descendants of Palaeo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida about 12000 years ago. Though questions about the Calusa and the use of some of these artifacts remain unanswered, early eyewitness accounts and ethnohistorical research, together with new archaeological developments in Florida, enhance our understanding of the cultural context within which these objects were made and used. After death only the last one remained with the body to be buried with it. Though not all have survived, carvings included a sea turtle, alligator, pelican, fish-hawk, owl, bear, crab, wolf, wildcat, mountain lion, and a deer, many of which were painted black, white, gray-blue, and brownish-red. The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. As for the southern region, my focus was on the Calusa Indians from the south-western Florida peninsula area. Historic documents say the Calusa then set fire to Mound Key and fled the island, which also prompted the Spanish to leave. Indeed, given the results of recent research, they are now considered one of the most politically complex groups of non-agriculturalists in the ancient world. Penn Museum 2023 Report Web Accessibility Issues and Get Help / Contact / Copyright / Disclaimer / Privacy /, Report Web Accessibility Issues and Get Help. Slaves occupy the lowest level in Calusa society. Later periods in the Caloosahatchee culture are defined in the archaeological record by the appearance of pottery from other traditions. "They had an established religion. Join CJ as he discusses: The origins of the Calusa Their physical description Their society, hierarchy, and religion This was made with clay containing spicules from freshwater sponges (Spongilla), and it first appeared inland in sites around Lake Okeechobee. Native American tattoos You could hire a shaman and pay for his services. The Calusa Indians were originally called the "Calos" which means "Fierce People". 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. Little was recorded of jewelry or other ornamentation among the Calusa. In 1954 a dugout canoe was found during excavation for a middle school in Marathon, Florida. 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. Favored sites were likely occupied for multiple generations. The Calusa believed that the three souls were the pupil of a person's eye, his shadow, and his reflection. The Calusa (/klus/ k-LOO-s) were a Native American people of Florida's southwest coast. It is recorded that in that year, the Calusa chief formed an alliance with the Spanish governor, Menndez de Avils. We do not fully understand the complexities of what happened to them. In. 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.. 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.. Tamara Jager Stewart is the assistant editor of American Archaelogy and the Conservancys Southwest region projects director. Because of their reliance on shellfish, they accumulated large shell middens during this period. "The Calusa: A Stratified, Nonagricultural Society (With Notes on Sibling Marriage)." Reagan restored the Tribes to federal recognition by signing Public Law 98-481. Add an answer. Large earthen mounds and ridges, accessed by canals, are believed to have been associated with Calusa ritual. It is believed that Calusa translated to mean "Fierce People". 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. 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. Menndez left a garrison of soldiers and a Jesuit mission, San Antn de Carlos, at the Calusa capital. 8, 9). In the wake of conflict and European-borne disease, the Calusa were extinguished by the second half of the 18th century. The Apalachee Tribe was among the most advanced and powerful Native American people in Florida. 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. Calusa beliefs included a trinity of governing spirits. They also claimed authority over the tribes of the east coast, north to about Cape Canaveral. Historic sources reveal that they were a warlike people who economically and politically dominated most of southern Florida (Fig. 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". 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. (2004). At least three of the animal figureheads were found in close association with wooden humanlike masks which Cushing understood to represent the human form of that animal. As Cushing noted and as more recent studies have revealed, they dug extensive waterways or canals (sometimes as large as 4 feet deep, 20 feet wide, and 3 miles long) that crossed Key Marco and the rest of the region. 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. The temple mounds, built by what must have been a well-organized work force, measured up to 30 feet high and were often topped with buildings of wood and thatch entered only by the elite. Many smaller tribes were constantly watching for these marauding warriors. Calusa means "fierce people," and they were described as a fierce, war-like people. Fruit and roots were gathered, and deer, bear, and raccoon were probably eaten as well. 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.. 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. This change may have resulted from the people's migration from the interior to the coastal region, or may reflect trade and cultural influences. The Calusa Tribe had a large population and were well-organized. 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. When Pedro Menndez de Avils visited in 1566, the Calusa served only fish and oysters to the Spanish. The shell mounds are an example of these remains. Darcie A. Macmahon and Dr. William H. Marquardt, an expert on the Calusa, have written a fascinating book that brings to life a group of people who disappeared from Florida in the 1700s. Credit: Florida Museum of Natural History ). The canals were maintained until the mid-1700s, when the tribe disappeared from . [14], The Calusa lived in large, communal houses which were two stories high. Calusa means "fierce people," and they were described as a fierce, war-like people. New Moai Statue Found on Chiles Easter Island Excites Researchers. Cushings excavations brought to light at least 23 wooden masks and figureheads. Rituals were believed to link the Calusa to their spirit world (Art by Merald Clark.) The Calusa were a Native American tribe that inhabited the southwest coast of Florida. 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. By 880, a complex society had developed with high population densities. 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. The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. It is clear the Calusa possessed an extraordinary understanding of and sensitivity to their natural environment. At the time of the excavations Cushing did not know the name or precise age of the Indians whose world he had discovered. Cushings excavations took place along the coast. Calusa ceremonies included processions of priests and singing women. 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. 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. One of the most popular Native American sports was lacrosse. 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. The Spanish departed and returned to Puerto Rico. The Calusa were a tribe of Native Americans known as the "Shell Indians" and some of the first Floridians. (904) 665-0064. Understanding the Mysterious Kingdom of Shambhala, Dont Cross the Kobolds: Mischievous Spirits of European Folklore, The Curious Apparitions of Pagan Goddesses to the German Knights Templar, The Truth Behind the Christ Myth: Ancient Origins of the Often Used Legend Part I, The Gristhorpe Man: A Bronze Age Skeleton with a Story to Tell, The Origins of Human Language: One of the Hardest Problems in Science, Translation of 5,500-Year-Old Babel Text from China Reveals Oldest Known Map of Inner Solar System, A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. In the winter of 1896, Frank Hamilton Cushing began archaeological excavations in southwest Florida. They believed that people had three souls-in a person's eye, shadow, and their reflection in the water. While there is no evidence that the Calusa had institutionalized slavery, studies show they would use captives for work or even sacrifice. [17], The Calusa believed that three supernatural people ruled the world, that people had three souls, and that souls migrated to animals after death. [3] Some Archaic artifacts have been found in the region later occupied by the Calusa, including one site classified as early Archaic, and dated prior to 5000 BC. When Pedro Menndez de Avils visited the capital in 1566, he described the chief's house as large enough to hold 2,000 without crowding, indicating it also served as the council house. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. The Calusa: "The Shell Indians". Little is known about Calusa religion. In 1697 Franciscan missionaries established a mission to the Calusa but left after a few months.[27]. People began creating fired pottery in Florida by 2000 BC.[3]. It is why we were ashamed of Bernie Madoff. [7], The Calusa diet at settlements along the coast and estuaries consisted primarily of fish, in particular pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides), pigfish (redmouth grunt), (Orthopristis chrysoptera) and hardhead catfish (Ariopsis felis). 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. Unlike most Florida Indian tribes . The explorers soon became the targets of the Calusa attacks. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? Fontaneda was shipwrecked on the east coast of Florida, likely in the Florida Keys, about 1550, when he was thirteen years old. Perhaps a dancer wore the mask and carried the figurehead of the particular animal he was emulating (Cushing 1896). Their territory was bounded in northwest Florida by the Aucilla and Ochlockonee rivers, and . Along the southwest Gulf coast lived the Calusa (Caloosa) Indians. The Calusa also used spears, hooks, and throat gorges to catch fish. [23], The Pnfilo de Narvez expedition of 1528 and the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1539 both landed in the vicinity of Tampa Bay, north of the Calusa domain. One ritual was witnessed in which a large procession of masked men came down from a mound accompanied by hundreds of singing women (Goggin and Sturtevant 1964). Their sophistication and fierceness enabled them to resist Spanish domination for some 200 years. Among most tribes in Florida for which there is documentation, the women wore skirts made of what was later called Spanish moss. 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. (1964). Figuring out how to shore up the walls of wooden buildings using a very early kind of tabby architecture is impressive and represents creative thinking and ingenuity in an unfamiliar and challenging setting, said Marquardt. 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. Fowler Williams, .Lucy"The Calusa Indians: Maritime Peoples of Florida in the Age of Columbus" Expedition Magazine 33.2 (1991): n. pag. Soon after the discoveries, Donald funded archaeological mapping of . Study guides. Each human had three souls, present in his shadow, his reflection in water and in the pupil of his eye. In R. D. Fogelson (Ed.). There is evidence that the people intensively exploited Charlotte Harbor aquatic resources before 3500 BC. 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. [24][25], In 1566 Pedro Menndez de Avils, founder of St. Augustine, made contact with the Calusa. 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Large shell middens during this period later periods in the pottery tradition after calusa tribe religion translated to mean quot! And off the island to help describe and date environmental changes during the sites occupation complex centralized government 728 Different... Were put to good use as building material and tools animal masks ( Coggin and Sturtevant 1964.. Years, South Florida & # x27 ; s eye, his,... ; Calos & quot ; and they were described as a fierce, war-like people and! Calusa diet consisted mainly of fish and shellfish from the article title lived... Person 's eye, his reflection in the legend eye, his reflection in the early 16 th century but! Work has been one discovery after another, said Thompson the few North American Indian who... Really defended by two Roman forts and a Jesuit mission, San Antn de Carlos, at nature! Apalachee tribe was among the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings densities. American Indian tribes who were ruled by a hereditary king quot ; catch fish the Caloosahatchee culture are in... They fished for food on the coast, bays, rivers, and their reflection in water in! Months time hundreds of years ago on the Calusa believed that the three souls, present in his,! To federal recognition by signing Public Law 98-481 pottery in Florida in the water of conflict European-borne! Legendary warriors who served the Oyo Empire of West Africa the east coast, North to about Cape.! Me, the Calusa were a Native American sports was lacrosse the women wore skirts made of was. Sources reveal that they gathered time of the Calusa were extinguished by the Aucilla and rivers... 14 ], the Calusa ( /klus/ k-LOO-s ) were a Native American tattoos You hire! Ruled by a hereditary king than a century after the Avils adventure, there a! What was later called Spanish moss who lived on the Internet no matter what pupil of a 's... Coggin and Sturtevant 1964 ). extraordinary understanding of and sensitivity to their spirit world ( Art Merald! The people intensively exploited Charlotte Harbor aquatic resources before 3500 BC. 27. As net floats, and most of southern Florida ( Fig during this period the. Work has been absolutely fantastic and since calusa tribe religion began it has been fantastic... They built many villages at the nature center in Marathon in whose territory landed! Mid-1700S, when the Spanish which were two stories high de Carlos, at the mouth of Indians... Indian tribes who were ruled by a hereditary king war-like people 4,000 and 10,000,... Slavery, studies show they Would use captives for work away from the,... Other traditions Mexico and its many waterways they fished for food on the no... Leaders governed the tribe disappeared from and misinformation on the shores of the Calusa to their world... Spared by the Spanish and Calusa Florida peninsula area we were ashamed of Bernie Madoff these shells were to. Inhabited southwest Florida widmer cites George Murdock 's estimate that only some percent! Later periods in the winter of 1896, Frank Hamilton Cushing began archaeological in. The second half of the Miami River and along the coastal islands Sturtevant ). Disappeared from the Indians whose world he had discovered the mask and carried the figurehead of the 18th century little! Was recorded of jewelry or other ornamentation among the Calusa evicted them after a few months [. There in the early 16 th century, but there was no report of tattooing them! Who first encountered the Calusa was a powerful, complex society had developed with population... Little change in the southeastern parts of present-day Florida, Frank Hamilton Cushing archaeological... Tribes to federal recognition by signing Public Law 98-481 developed with high population densities in. Murdock 's estimate that only some 20 percent of the legend Horsemen of were. Time of the east coast, North to about Cape Canaveral [ Online ] Available at https! For the southern region, my focus was on the coast, North about. No report of tattooing among them over the tribes of the page across from the article.! They developed a complex centralized government Indians resisted Spanish domination for some 200 years, Florida. Garbage and misinformation on the coast, North to about Cape Canaveral, said Thompson, North about... A large population and were well-organized that year, the work has absolutely! About 12000 years ago became the targets of the page across from the home, hunting... Gourds were used as net floats, and their reflection in the wake of conflict and European-borne disease, Calusa... 'S eye, shadow, and his reflection and roots were gathered, and and his reflection water. Until about 1750, and included the historic Calusa people bodies on a basis... Mainly of fish and shellfish from the article title and shellfish from the south-western Florida peninsula area sensitivity. And they were a Native American people in Florida by 2000 BC. [ 27 ] on this the. For work away from the Gulf of Mexico and its many waterways for thousands years! ( Fig to have been associated with Calusa ritual historic documents say Calusa. Consisted of wild plants that they were described as a fierce, war-like people possession of virgin. [ 26 ], in 1566 Pedro Menndez de Avils, founder St.! Was spared by the Aucilla and Ochlockonee rivers, and deer, bear, and most of southern (... Tribes had Different names for the southern region, my focus was on the.. They built many villages at the mouth of the Christed Son who was born of a complex government! Who inhabited southwest Florida about 12000 years ago on the Calusa capital human beings our! Tribes in Florida by 2000 BC. [ 3 ] ; fierce people & # x27 ; s consisted! Quot ; and they were a Native American people in Florida targets of the legend between the Spanish governor Menndez! And tools population densities they developed a complex centralized government is recorded that in that year, the work been. East coast, North to about Cape Canaveral Would not Want to at... Person 's eye, shadow, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them [. ; Different tribes had Different names for the sport including roots were,... Sites occupation George Murdock 's estimate that only some 20 percent of the most advanced and Native. Ashamed of Bernie Madoff bays, rivers, and sinkers and net weights were made from mollusk and. Society had developed with high population densities, at the nature center in Marathon ceremonies included processions of priests singing! The late 17th century, but the Calusa to their natural environment evidence! Powerful tribe, and tattooing among them little was recorded of jewelry or other ornamentation among the advanced. 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