calusa tribe religion

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. Franciscan friar Fray Lopez, director of the unsuccessful 1697 mission attempt, described the Calusa temples as very tall and wide, with a mound in the middle and a structure on the mound enclosed with reed mats and containing benches around the walls. The Penn Museum respectfully acknowledges that it is situated on Lenapehoking, the ancestral and spiritual homeland of the Unami Lenape. At the time of first European contact, the Caloosahatchee culture region formed the core of the Calusa domain. At the time of European contact in the 16th and 17th centuries, the historic Calusa were the people of the Caloosahatchee culture. 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. 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.. Many of them are trying to do this on the Internet. 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. The Calusa Indians were originally called the "Calos" which means "Fierce People". Calusa beliefs included a trinity of governing spirits. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. [1], Early Spanish and French sources referred to the tribe, its chief town, and its chief as Calos, Calus, Caalus, and Carlos. Gainesville: University of Florida Press: Florida Museum of Natural History, 1991. It is likely there are descendants of the Calusa living among the Native American people of Florida and in Cuba today., In terms of Mound Key, much more can be learned about the Spanish fort and mission, the relations between the Calusa and the Spaniards and the earlier, pre-contact occupations of the island, Marquardt said. 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. 215.898.4000. One of the causes of this was the raids conducted by rival tribes from Georgia and South Carolina. 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. The National Geographic has reported that archaeologists have discovered an ancient Native American kings house in Florida. Chumash Tribe Facts: The Chumash Name A new study says Florida's Calusa tribe built fish enclosures to amass surplus food, allowing its society to flourish and build structures such as the king's manor on Mound Key . Well-preserved nets, net floats, and hooks were found at Key Marco, in the territory of the neighboring Muspa tribe. 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. Return to our menu of Native American cultures Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. By around 5000 BC, people started living in villages near wetlands. 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. google_ad_client = "pub-8872632675285158"; 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. The Calusa, who had no immunity against such illnesses, were wiped out in large numbers. Diseases would ravage their population and force . 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. A dozen words for which translations were recorded and 50 or 60 place names form the entire known corpus of the language. The Calusa Indians were descendants of Paleo-Indians who inhabited Southwest Florida approximately 12,000 years ago. Dominican missionaries reached the Calusa domain in 1549 but withdrew because of the hostility of the tribe. The Calusa tribe lived along the Gulf Coat and inner waterways; their homes were built on stilts with roofs made from Palmetto leaves; these homes had no walls. The Caloosahatchee Region". [15], The Calusa wore little clothing. It appears that the answer is their watercourts, which were discovered back in the 1890s. And to what extent does the occupational and architectural history speak to broader issues of Calusa complexity? 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. The Calusa may have been the only ancient people in North America who established a kingdom without practicing agriculture. The Calusa gathered a variety of wild berries, fruits, nuts, roots and other plant parts. In a feat of organized labor that was also suggestive of their expansive trade network, the Calusa appear to have brought pine wood to the island from elsewhere in Florida to build the dwelling. The Beast with an insatiable Hunger for Human Flesh, Film Footage Provides Intimate View of HMS Gloucester Shipwreck, Top 8 Legendary Parties - Iconic Celebrations in Ancient History, The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth Behind the Black Legend (Part II), The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth behind the Dark Legend (Part I), Bloodthirsty Buddhists: The Sohei Warrior Monks of Feudal Japan, Caesars Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort, The Red Taj Mahal and the Dutch Hessings of India. One of the most popular Native American sports was lacrosse. The Calusa wove nets from palm-fiber cord. 01 Mar 2023 , 3260 South Street How was the Calusa Indian nation organized? Return to American Indians for Children Some of the survivors were sent to Cuba by the Spanish, while others may have merged with other Floridian Indians and eventually joined the Seminole tribe. The Franciscans established a mission there in the late 17th century, but the Calusa evicted them after a few months time. At the time of the excavations Cushing did not know the name or precise age of the Indians whose world he had discovered. Copy. Wiki User. New Evidence Shows Humans Were Using Bows and Arrows in 52,000 BC. ( Public Domain ), Featured image: Calusa people fishing. The first people to live on the island were the Calusa Native Americans, who were known as a fierce people. This lasted until about 1750, and included the historic Calusa people. Soon 20 war canoes attacked the Spanish, who drove off the Calusa, killing or capturing several of them. Little is known about Calusa religion. /* 728x15 link ad */ 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. [Online]Available at: http://www.calusalandtrust.org/who_were_the_calusa/who_were_the_calusa.htm, Ripley, K., 2016. Julian Granberry has suggested that the Calusa language was related to the Tunica language of the lower Mississippi River Valley. The Calusa king initially allied himself with Menendez, hoping to gain an advantage over his rivals elsewhere in the Florida peninsula.. 2014-05-02 14:51:47. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. As for the southern region, my focus was on the Calusa Indians from the south-western Florida peninsula area. Southeastern Archaeology, 33(1), 124. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! Archaeological and historical documentation reveal that Calusa society was highly structured, with individuals living in fixed settlements surrounding a large central town. 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. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. "Chapter 10. The Calusa were one of the few tribes known to be shell collectors. (1964). Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2004. Marquardt notes that the Calusa turned down the offer of agricultural tools from the Spanish, saying that they had no need for them. Study guides. 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 Tribes' sovereignty was once again recognized and funding was restored for education, housing and health programs. Little was recorded of jewelry or other ornamentation among the Calusa. Large earthen mounds and ridges, accessed by canals, are believed to have been associated with Calusa ritual. The heir of the chief wore gold in an ornament on his forehead and beads on his legs. He struck an uneasy peace with their leader Caluus, or Carlos. "Well, every indigenous group around the country has its own unique history and and accomplishments, but I guess what has interested archaeologists and anthropologists generally is that the Calusa managed to become very complex, politically complex," said Marquardt. 1). In R. D. Fogelson (Ed.). Lucy Fowler Williams is Keeper of Collections for the American Section. Join CJ as he discusses: The origins of the Calusa Their physical description Their society, hierarchy, and religion [8], Some authors have argued that the Calusa cultivated maize and Zamia integrifolia (coontie) for food. By contrast, at an inland site, Platt Island, mammals (primarily deer) accounted for more than 60 percent of the energy from animal meat, while fish provided just under 20 percent. The Calusa Indians. At Mound Key, the Spaniards used primitive tabby as a mortar to stabilize the posts in the walls of their wooden structures. Add an answer. 4-8). This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 15:27. Did the Calusa farm? Water World. 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. This class was supported by commoners, who provided them with food and other material goods. When combined with historical and archaeological documentation, Cushings finds from Key Marco teach us about the Calusa Indians around the time of contact. Directly beneath the chief was the nobility. The Calusa king, or head chief, was an absolute ruler. 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. Florida of the Indians. 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. 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. The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Photo by Alina Zienowicz . Artifacts related to fishing changed slowly over this period, with no obvious breaks in tradition that might indicate a replacement of the population. The men and boys of the tribe made nets from palm tree webbing to catch mullet, pinfish, pigfish, and catfish. One is left only to imagine how lifelike these wooden figureheads must have appeared when used on ceremonial occasions. Despite the social complexity and political might that the Calusa attained, they are said to have eventually went extinct around the end of the 18 th century. Among other things. Native American names Photograph by Amanda Roberts Thompson, courtesy Florida Museum of Natural History The Calusa also famously resisted colonization and conversion. A variety of carving tools were also recovered. They are attacked by Spain, which in 1566 had established St. Augustine in the north. The finds tell us of Calusa fishing techniques, of the tools used to produce their wooden carvings, of architecture, ceremonialism, and daily life. 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. A reconstruction of a Calusa home and terraces, on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The Calusa were a Native American tribe that lived hundreds of years ago on the island that is now Mound Key Archaeological State Park. Many smaller tribes were constantly watching for these marauding warriors. The Calusa were a fascinating Native American people who populated the southwestern coast of Florida. The fishing nets they used to catch food were made from palm tree fibers. After Spain ceded Florida to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763, the remaining tribes of South Florida were relocated to Cuba by the Spanish, completing their removal from the region. Marquardt, W. H. (2014). They believed in three superior beings, one controlled the weather, the others ruled the welfare of the tribe and warfare. Photo source: Moving to Tampa, Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida, 2002. [26], For more than a century after the Avils adventure, there was little contact between the Spanish and Calusa. [4], Between 500 and 1000, the undecorated, sand-tempered pottery that had been common in the area was replaced by "Belle Glade Plain" pottery. [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. Although he did not know much about the history of the Calusa Indians, what he did know was the legend in Tampa that the Calusa Indians cast a spell to keep them safe. 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. [5] A few leaders governed the tribe. 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. 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. The Spanish founded a mission on Biscayne Bay in 1743 to serve survivors from several tribes, including the Calusa, who had gathered there and in the Florida Keys. The Legend of the Calusa Many people believe that the Calusa made a trip to Cuba in their canoes and traded with the Mayans. The Calusa people were an important tribe of Florida. [16], Ceremonial or otherwise artistic masks have been discovered and were previously described by the Spanish who first encountered the Calusa. 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. Index of Indigenous languages Their territory was bounded in northwest Florida by the Aucilla and Ochlockonee rivers, and . They left 1,700 behind. The Calusas as Shell Indians The Calusas are considered to be the first "shell collectors." Shells were discarded into huge heaps. 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. 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. It was reputed in local legend to be the seat of the god Wotan and to be haunted. 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). They had the highest population density of South Florida; estimates of total population at the time of European contact range from 10,000 to several times that, but these are speculative. Additionally, they had (as their name suggests) a fierce, war-like reputation. Widmer cites George Murdock's estimate that only some 20 percent of the Calusa diet consisted of wild plants that they gathered. 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. The rich and relatively stable coastal ecology of southwest Florida provided an abundance of marine lifenumerous kinds of fish, shellfish, and sea mammalsthat was capable of supporting a large human population. In addition, elaborate rituals with synchronized singing and processions of masked priests were also carried out on that occasion. [13][11] Artifacts of wood that have been found include bowls, ear ornaments, masks, plaques, "ornamental standards", and a finely carved deer head. In 1697 Franciscan missionaries established a mission to the Calusa but left after a few months.[27]. Indigenous people of the Everglades region, "Fish Hooks, Gorges, and Leister - Natural & Cultural Collections of South Florida (U.S. National Park Service)", Evidence for a Calusa-Tunica Relationship, Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Calusa&oldid=1140745100, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles using infobox ethnic group with image parameters, Language articles with unreferenced extinction date, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Bullen, Adelaide K. (1965). Calusa society developed from that of archaic peoples of the Everglades region. The first phase of work included the creation of a detailed topographic map of the island using LiDAR, which gave archaeologists information about its structures and geography. Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, a Spaniard held captive by the Calusa in the 16th century, recorded that Calusa meant "fierce people" in their language. By the early 19th century, Anglo-Americans in the area used the term Calusa for the people. In April of that year he made landfall and, calling this new territory La Florida, claimed it for the Spanish Crown. The men of the Calusa are recorded to have been powerfully built, and let their hair grow long. 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. 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. 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. The Calusa tribe once numbered around 50,000 people, and Tampa was one of their largest towns. Native American tribes Additionally, it has been suggested that the population of this tribe may have reached 50000 people at one point of time. 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. 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. Like the Calusa, the Tequesta were devastated by European diseases. While there is no evidence that the Calusa had institutionalized slavery, studies show they would use captives for work or even sacrifice. The Southeast is one of 10 culture areas that scholars use to study the Indigenous peoples of the United States and Canada. Though eschewing agriculture once. Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider, The Irish Story and Legend of C Chulainn, What is Shambhala? They built many villages at the mouth of the Miami River and along the coastal islands. Fontaneda lived with various tribes in southern Florida for the next seventeen years before being found by the Menendez de Avils expedition. What did the Calusa tribe believe in? The other two souls left the body after death and entered into an animal. 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. Instead, they fished for food on the coast, bays, rivers, and waterways. 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 Spanish reported that the chief was expected to take his sister as one of his wives. Could we find unequivocal architectural evidence that Mound Key was the Calusa capital town, as had long been suggested? If a Calusa killed such an animal, the soul would migrate to a lesser animal and eventually be reduced to nothing.[18]. This is still a popular sport today. It has been proposed that as fishing was a less time-consuming means of obtaining food than hunting and gathering, the Calusa were able to devote more time to other pursuits, such as the establishment of a system of government. The Tequesta lived in the southeastern parts of present-day Florida. Native Americans enjoyed a wide variety of entertainment in the form of sports, games, music, dance, and festivals. Marquardt quotes a statement from the 1570s that "the Bay of Carlos in the Indian language is called Escampaba, for the cacique of this town, who afterward called himself Carlos in devotion to the Emperor" (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor). The Carolinan colonists supplied firearms to the Creek and Yemasee, but the Calusa, who had isolated themselves from Europeans, had none. The Calusa leader, Calus (called Carlos II by the Spaniards), agrees to accept a Jesuit missionary among his people, but the Calusa refuse to . They fished and hunted for their food and would catch things like: mullet, catfish, eels, turtles, deer, conchs, clams, oysters, and crabs. 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. Menndez married Carlos' sister, who took the baptismal name Doa Antonia at conversion. [Online]Available at: http://www.sanibelhistory.org/calusa_history.htm, Wu Mingren (Dhwty) has a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and Archaeology. They were occupying this land and engaging in commerce, culture, religion, politics and family life . The capital of the Calusa, and where the rulers administered from, was Mound Key, near present day Estero, Florida. Furthermore, new diseases such as smallpox and measles were introduced into the area by European explorers. Around A.D. 1250, the area experienced a drop in sea level that, according to research team member Karen Walker, collections manager at the Florida Museum of Natural History, may have impacted fish populations enough to have prompted the Calusa to design and build the watercourts. The Spanish documented four cases of known succession to the position of paramount chief, recording most names in Spanish form. They established a complex, centralized government, constructed a canal system, the beginnings of organized religion, and the creating of many art forms. : Viking Warrior, ruler and Raider, the others ruled the welfare of the most popular Native names... 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