By the early 19th century, Anglo-Americans in the area used the term Calusa for the people. The Calusa were conquered by the Spanish in 1763. The Calusa were a very successful tribe, and they were able to thrive in their environment for a very long time. Calusa, North American Indian tribe that inhabited the southwest coast of Florida from Tampa Bay to Cape Sable and Cape Florida, together with all the outlying keys. 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 . In 1954 a dugout canoe was found during excavation for a middle school in Marathon, Florida. Different tribes had different names for the sport including . Shell mounds are hills of discarded seashells, which the Calusa created by depositing the shells of marine creatures they had eaten. Some of the "Spanish Indians" (often of mixed Spanish-Indian heritage) who worked at the fishing camps likely were descended from Calusa. Florida of the Indians. Because of their reliance on shellfish, they accumulated large shell middens during this period. Previous indigenous cultures had lived in the area for thousands of years. They practiced human sacrifice of captives, scalped and dismembered their slain enemies, and were repeatedly accused of being cannibals. The Calusa tribe was a Native American tribe that lived in what is now southern Florida. Historic documents say the Calusa then set fire to Mound Key and fled the island, which also prompted the Spanish to leave. The chief's house was described as having two big windows, suggesting that it had walls. Calusa means "fierce people," and they were described as a fierce, war-like people. 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.. The Calusa (said to mean fierce people) are a Native American tribe that once inhabited the southwestern coast of Florida. According to the documents, the brushwood and lumber fort encompassed some 36 structures. 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. [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. Some research indicates that they may have immigrated to Cuba during the 18th century as a result of recurring invasions by the Creek and the English, while other work suggests they may have joined the Seminole, who moved into Florida early in the 19th century and were later removed to Oklahoma. Could we find unequivocal architectural evidence that Mound Key was the Calusa capital town, as had long been suggested? In 1711, the Spanish helped evacuate 270 Indians, including many Calusa, from the Florida Keys to Cuba (where almost 200 soon died). Beginning roughly 2,000 years ago, the Calusa enjoyed centuries of dominance as the undisputed rulers of southwest Florida. 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. Although many others survived the shipwreck, only Fontaneda was spared by the tribe in whose territory they landed. Beltane is an ancient Gaelic festival celebrating the beginning of summer and the renewal of life. 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. People commonly occupied both fresh and saltwater wetlands. The first people to live on the island were the Calusa Native Americans, who were known as a fierce people. Directly beneath the chief was the nobility. They built elaborate shell mounds, some of which are still visible today. The Muskogean language family is also spoken by the Seminole tribe of Florida. 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. Tabby, also called tabbi or tapia, is made by burning shells to create lime, which is then mixed with sand, ash, water and broken shells. Favored sites were likely occupied for multiple generations. The National Geographic has reported that archaeologists have discovered an ancient Native American kings house in Florida. The Calusa have long fascinated archaeologists because they were a fisher-gatherer-hunter society that attained unusual social complexity, said William Marquardt, curator emeritus of South Florida Archaeology and Ethnography at the Florida Museum of Natural History. However, their numbers began to decline in the late 1700s, and by the 1800s they were no longer a major force in southern Florida. Instead, they fished for food on the coast, bays, rivers, and waterways. 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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. Radiocarbon dating of carbonized wood, a deer bone and a shell verified the forts mid-16th-century date. A dozen words for which translations were recorded and 50 or 60 place names form the entire known corpus of the language. 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 Calooshahatchee River, which means "River of the Calusa," was their main waterway. The men wore deerskin breechcloths. They built canals and fish traps to help them catch fish. The men and boys of the tribe made nets from palm tree webbing to catch mullet, pinfish, pigfish, and catfish. The Calusa also journeyed to Cuba and other Caribbean islands, trading in fish, skins, and amber. The soul in the eye's pupil stayed with the body after death, and the Calusa would consult with that soul at the graveside. . They were supported by the labor of the majority of the Calusa. The Calusa Indians lived in Southwest Florida. It is recorded that in that year, the Calusa chief formed an alliance with the Spanish governor, Menndez de Avils. South Florida Archaeology and Ethnography, South Florida Archaeology & Ethnography Collection. This change may have resulted from the people's migration from the interior to the coastal region, or may reflect trade and cultural influences. Researchers have previously hypothesized the watercourts were designed to hold fish, but this was the first attempt to study the structures systematically, including when they were built and how that timing correlates with other Calusa construction projects, Marquardt said. This is still a popular sport today. The Spanish A research project has finally solved an archaeological mystery in America . Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida 2002. [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). The Tequesta lived in the southeastern parts of present-day Florida. The men and boys of the tribe made nets from palm tree webbing to catch mullet, pinfish, pigfish, and catfish. However, they would suffer the same fate as many of the other Native American tribes. Additionally, it has been pointed out that tribute was sent to this chief from other tribes in south 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. "Florida Indians of Past and Present", in Carson, Ruby Leach and, Goggin, John M., and William C. Sturtevant. During the 16th century they defended their shores from a succession of Spanish explorers. 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. Fontaneda was shipwrecked on the east coast of Florida, likely in the Florida Keys, about 1550, when he was thirteen years old. The Calusa gathered a variety of wild berries, fruits, nuts, roots and other plant parts. The Calusa were a very advanced tribe. The chief's house, and possibly the other houses at Calos, were built on top of earthen mounds. 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AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. Archaeologists have excavated many of these mounds to learn more about these . Diseases would ravage their population and force . [Online]Available at: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/sflarch/research/calusa-domain/, floridahistory.org, 2016. 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. By the constant invasions of the Creek and other Indian allies of the English, they were driven from the mainland and forced to take refuge on the Florida Keys. This site is believed to have been the capital of the Calusa, as well as its military stronghold and ceremonial center. Photo source: Moving to Tampa, Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida, 2002. They left 1,700 behind. 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