Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers, Florida Center for Instructional Technology. They built many villages at the mouth of the Miami River and along the coastal islands. The Calusa were a very advanced tribe. They were supported by the labor of the majority of the Calusa. The Spanish careened one of their ships, and Calusas offered to trade with them. [5] A few leaders governed the tribe. They traveled by dugout canoes, which were made from hollowed-out cypress logs approximately 15 feet long. Living and surviving on the coast caused the tribesmen to become great sailors. Unlike other Indian tribes, the Calusa did not make many pottery items. These Indians controlled most of south Florida. The research team uncovered a network of post holes and foundation trenches that indicate a large structure measuring about 80 feet long and 65 feet wide covered the summit of the islands highest hill. The chief's house, and possibly the other houses at Calos, were built on top of earthen mounds. The chief's house was described as having two big windows, suggesting that it had walls. Inside a great temple, they observed walls covered by carved and painted wooden masks. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. Fontaneda lived with various tribes in southern Florida for the next seventeen years before being found by the Menendez de Avils expedition. The capital of the Calusa, and where the rulers administered from, was Mound Key, near present day Estero, Florida. They were descendants of Paleo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida approximately 12,000 years ago. Shell mounds can still be found today in many parts of southern Florida. Archaeologists have excavated many of these mounds to learn more about these extinct people. The Calusa resisted physical encroachment and spiritual conversion by the Spanish and their missionaries for almost 200 years. 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. This site is believed to have been the capital of the Calusa, as well as its military stronghold and ceremonial center. The Calusa also journeyed to Cuba and other Caribbean islands, trading in fish, skins, and amber. The Calusa relied more on the sea than on agriculture for their livelihood. The level of southwest Florida political complexity is noteworthy because they depended for food mainly on fishing, hunting, and gathering. 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. . ed. 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. At the time of European contact in the 16th and 17th centuries, the historic Calusa were the people of the Caloosahatchee culture. Additionally, they had (as their name suggests) a fierce, war-like reputation. The Calusa were a Native American people who lived in southwest Florida from about 500 BC to 1500 AD. One shell mound site is Mound Key at Estero Bay in Lee County. [2] The Tequesta tribe had only a few survivors by . Florida of the Indians. They had a large population and a prosperous economy. 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. A few hundred Calusa people survived and were assimilated into other Native American tribes. However, their numbers began to decline in the late 1700s, and by the 1800s they were no longer a major force in southern Florida. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. The Tequesta lived in the southeastern parts of present-day Florida. When Spaniards arrived in southwest Florida in the sixteenth century, they encountered a populous, sedentary, and politically complex society: the Calusa. 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. Omissions? (Art by Merald Clark. They had a complex religion that included rituals and ceremonies. The heir of the chief wore gold in an ornament on his forehead and beads on his legs. ln 2017, funded by the National Science Foundation, the research team began a systematic investigation of these structures, the largest of which is about 36,000 square feet, with a surrounding berm of shell and sediment that stood about three feet high. [Online]Available at: http://floridahistory.org/indians.htm, Marquardt, W. H., 2014. The Big Calusa Festival is an ambitious creation to get the community out for a fun week of recreation, culture and cleanup, organizers sai. 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. Since the history books claim that the Calusa occupied that area for over 1,500 years, we hoped to . In 1697 Franciscan missionaries established a mission to the Calusa but left after a few months.[27]. "Florida Indians of Past and Present", in Carson, Ruby Leach and, Goggin, John M., and William C. Sturtevant. 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. Diseases would ravage their population and force . The king entertained the governor in a building so large that 2,000 people could stand inside. The Calusa (/klus/ k-LOO-s) were a Native American people of Florida's southwest coast. Little was recorded of jewelry or other ornamentation among the Calusa. 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. 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. 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. The shell mounds are an example of these remains. [Online]Available at: http://www.sanibelhistory.org/calusa_history.htm. We began with a basic set of questions, said Marquardt. Rounding a sharp point against the tide was very difficult. The Calusa were a trading people. Archaeological excavations in southern Italy have yielded a treasure trove of Greek artifacts from the ancient city of Paestum. According to some authorities their territory also extended inland as far as Lake Okeechobee. The first people to live on the island were the Calusa Native Americans, who were known as a fierce people. The Carolinan colonists supplied firearms to the Creek and Yemasee, but the Calusa, who had isolated themselves from Europeans, had none. A reconstruction of a Calusa home and terraces, on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The Calusa (said to mean fierce people) are a Native American tribe that once inhabited the southwestern coast of Florida. American Archaeology cover, featuring Florida Museum illustration by Merald Clark. They used the shells for tools, utensils, jewelry, and ornaments for their shrines. Among most tribes in Florida for which there is documentation, the women wore skirts made of what was later called Spanish moss. The Calusa painted their bodies on a regular basis, but there was no report of tattooing among them. More were evacuated to Cuba, where many of them died. 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. By around 5000 BC, people started living in villages near wetlands. Why We Should Not Defund The Police Facts, Why Students Should Not Wear Uniforms Facts, Why Is Evolution Taught In Schools As Fact. Calusa is an extinct Amerindian language of Florida. Its construction is made entirely of shells and clay. (Public Domain ). Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) EncyclopediaofFacts All Rights Reserved. 150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time? Calusa means "fierce people," and they The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. Milanich, J. T. (2004). They built canals and fish traps to help them catch fish. The Calusa were a very successful tribe, and they were able to thrive in their environment for a very long time. The Spanish A research project has finally solved an archaeological mystery in America . Where was the chief of the Calusa tribe? 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. They also hunted deer, bear, and other animals. (1964). This language family includes languages spoken by Native American tribes in the Southeastern United States, including the Alabama, Coushatta, Koasati, and Mikasuki languages. 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". Her story is filled with drama, intrigue, and tragedy, and her influence on the course of English history is undeniable. The National Geographic has reported that archaeologists have discovered an ancient Native American kings house in Florida. These massive, rectangular structures built of shell and sediment enclose large areas on both sides of the mouth of Mound Keys great canal, a marine highway nearly 2,000 feet long and about 100 feet wide that bisects the island. The Calusa were a Native American tribe that inhabited the southwest coast of Florida. Beltane is an ancient Gaelic festival celebrating the beginning of summer and the renewal of life. Later periods in the Caloosahatchee culture are defined in the archaeological record by the appearance of pottery from other traditions. ( Public Domain ). Milanich, Jerald. The Calusa people's diet consisted mainly of fish and shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico and its many waterways. One example of a shell mound can be found at a site known as Mound Key at Estero Bay in Lee County. ), Calusa influence extended over most of south Florida in the sixteenth century, Artists conception of the Calusa kings house in 1566 (Art by Merald Clark. Historic documents say the Calusa then set fire to Mound Key and fled the island, which also prompted the Spanish to leave. The Calusa were a fishing 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. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. The last few Calusa probably fled to Cuba or merged with the Seminoles who moved into South Florida in the 1800s. 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. Their immune systems lacked antibodies to fight off European diseases. The Calusa were a very spiritual people, and believed in a number of supernatural beings. 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. Towns throughout south Florida sent tribute to the Calusa king. 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 Calusa. The earliest written descriptions of these people come from Spanish explorers, who sought to convert and conquer them. 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. 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 Indians did not farm like the other Indian tribes in Florida. They used spears to catch eels and turtles. ), Recommended Books, Videos & Places to Visit. It is recorded that in that year, the Calusa chief formed an alliance with the Spanish governor, Menndez de Avils. However, Spanish accounts suggest that the Calusa tribe were the dominant tribe of the region and operated a complex Chiefdom that was comprised of a number of village communities all organized . Unfortunately, we dont know exactly how long the Calusa tribe lived, because there is very little information about them. Additionally, it has been pointed out that tribute was sent to this chief from other tribes in south Florida. They had a reputation from being a fierce, war-like people, especially among European explorers and smaller tribes. This change may have resulted from the people's migration from the interior to the coastal region, or may reflect trade and cultural influences. This site is believed to be the chief town of the Calusa, where the leader of the tribe, Chief Carlos lived. At first, there must have been an uneasy tolerance of one another, as the Spanish built their fort, Marquardt explained. (2004). 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