Carlos, also known as Calos or King Calusa (died 1567), was king or paramount chief of the Calusa people of Southwest Florida from about 1556 until his death. Spanish admiral Pedro Menndez de Avils (1519-1574) by Francisco de Paula Mart (1762-1827) ( Public Domain ). 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. 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 were a very prosperous people. From the Archaic peoples, two major tribes emerged in the area: the Calusa and the Tequesta. During the 16th century they defended their shores from a succession of Spanish explorers. A diorama of a Calusa chief in the Florida Museum of Natural History. "Calusa". These Indians controlled most of south Florida. The CalusaPeople of the Estuary. More were evacuated to Cuba, where many of them died. Her story is filled with drama, intrigue, and tragedy, and her influence on the course of English history is undeniable. (*) denotes earlier century Calusa language records. Artists conception of the Calusa encounter with Ponce de Len in 1513. Later periods in the Caloosahatchee culture are defined in the archaeological record by the appearance of pottery from other traditions. [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. Calusa Tribe. 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. The Calusa also journeyed to Cuba and other Caribbean islands, trading in fish, skins, and amber. What formation processes resulted in the complex of mounds and other features there? The Calusa made bone and shell gauges that they used in net weaving. Additionally, it has been pointed out that tribute was sent to this chief from other tribes in south Florida. Historical documents indicate that by the mid-1700s, the dwindling Calusa population had fled to Cuba, or the Florida Keys. The Calusa people's diet consisted mainly of fish and shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico and its many waterways. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. Julian Granberry has suggested that the Calusa language was related to the Tunica language of the lower Mississippi River Valley. Calusa territory reached from Charlotte Harbor to Cape Sable, all of present-day Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties, and may have included the Florida Keys at times. The Calusa Indians traveled in 15-foot dug out canoes. Because of their reliance on shellfish, they accumulated large shell middens during this period. It is documented that their power and influence extended over several other tribes in the area. [Online]Available at: http://www.calusalandtrust.org/who_were_the_calusa/who_were_the_calusa.htm, Ripley, K., 2016. The Timucua, a loose alliance of many tribes sharing the same language and traditions, encompassed much of north Florida, while the Calusa, or Calusa-related tribes, controlled much of southern Florida. They developed a complex culture based on estuarine fisheries rather than agriculture. Artifacts related to fishing changed slowly over this period, with no obvious breaks in tradition that might indicate a replacement of the population. In addition, elaborate rituals with synchronized singing and processions of masked priests were also carried out on that occasion. They were fierce fighters and accomplished seamen, paddling their dugout canoes around the Florida coast. The Calusa Indians were originally called the "Calos" which means "Fierce People". 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. 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. Their main waterway was the Calooshahatchee River, which means River of the Calusa. Instead, they fished for food on the coast, bays, rivers, and waterways. Relying on aquatic resources, the Calusa developed into a powerful, tributary chiefdom prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century, and occasionally expanded their reign to include other southern Florida tribes. ), Calusa beliefs included a trinity of governing spirits. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. [Online]Available at: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/sflarch/research/calusa-domain/, floridahistory.org, 2016. The event will be held . 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. The surviving members of the Calusa tribe either fled to Cuba or joined the Seminole Tribe. Undecorated pottery belonging to the early Glades culture appeared in the region around 500 BC. Many smaller tribes were constantly watching for these marauding warriors. They built canals and fish traps to help them catch fish. They were experts in fishing, and they also grew crops and raised animals. The Calusa tribe died out in the late 1700s. People began creating fired pottery in Florida by 2000 BC.[3]. 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. After suffering decimation by disease, the tribe was destroyed by Creek and Yamasee raiders early in the 18th century. The Calusa used wooden dugout canoes to aid them in fishing and for transport. At Mound Key, the Spaniards used primitive tabby as a mortar to stabilize the posts in the walls of their wooden structures. 150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time? Field school students brush sand from a tabby wall that might be the outer wall of Fort San Antn de Carlos. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Inside a great temple, they observed walls covered by carved and painted wooden masks. Many people lived in large villages with purpose-built earthwork mounds, such as those at Horr's Island. They also claimed authority over the tribes of the east coast, north to about Cape Canaveral. 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. About this time, they numbered nearly 50 villages, from one of which the city of Tampa takes its name. 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. 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 "nobles" resisted conversion in part because their power and position were intimately tied to the belief system; they were intermediaries between the gods and the people. Theyformerly 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. The Calusa were also known to sail up and down the west coast salvaging the wealth from shipwrecks. When Pedro Menndez de Avils visited in 1566, the Calusa served only fish and oysters to the Spanish. How did the Calusa manage this unusual feat? A reconstruction of a Calusa home and terraces, on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. In 1711, the Spanish helped evacuate 270 Indians, including many Calusa, from the Florida Keys to Cuba (where almost 200 soon died). [14], The Calusa lived in large, communal houses which were two stories high. The Calusa Indians lived in Southwest Florida. And to what extent does the occupational and architectural history speak to broader issues of Calusa complexity? Shell spears were made for fishing and hunting. Unlike other Indian tribes, the Calusa did not make many pottery items. Hardwood forests covered the land and the climate was . They were a fishing and shell-gathering people, and they ate a variety of seafood that they caught in the Gulf of Mexico. Calusa Tribe. The Spanish reported that the chief was expected to take his sister as one of his wives. The soul in the eye's pupil stayed with the body after death, and the Calusa would consult with that soul at the graveside. Florida Museum of Natural History Florida and Georgia archaeologists have discovered the location of Fort San Antn de Carlos, home of one of the first Jesuit missions in North America. 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. Shells and clay were used by the Calusa to create the foundation of their cities. While thousands of Calusa people were enslaved, about 270 people, including Calusa nobles, escaped to the Keys where, after the last raid by the Creeks on May 17, 1760, the surviving 60-70 Calusa . The Spanish departed and returned to Puerto Rico. The Calusa tribe was a Native American tribe that lived in what is now southern Florida. The Calusa were a very spiritual people, and believed in a number of supernatural beings. Since the history books claim that the Calusa occupied that area for over 1,500 years, we hoped to . Fort San Anton de Carlos is the first example of the use of tabby in North America. 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. The Tequesta lived in the southeastern parts of present-day Florida. ), Recommended Books, Videos & Places to Visit. According to eyewitness accounts, in 1566 over 4,000 people gathered to witness ceremonies in which the Calusa king made an alliance with Spanish governor Menndez de Avils. Typical Women's Work. [26], For more than a century after the Avils adventure, there was little contact between the Spanish and Calusa. They may also have traded agricultural products, such as maize and cassava. It is believed that the few remaining Calusa Indians left for Cuba when the Spanish turned Florida over to the British in 1763. The Calusa were a matrilineal society, with power and status passing through the female line. The Calusa were a Native American people who lived in what is now southwestern Florida from about 700 to 1763. . They were known for their skill in battle, and they were able to successfully resist the Spanish and other European settlers who attempted to invade their territory. Supported in part by a grant from National . Dominican missionaries reached the Calusa domain in 1549 but withdrew because of the hostility of the tribe. 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. [20][21], A few vocabulary examples from Granberry's work are listed below:[22]. The next day, 80 "shielded" canoes attacked the Spanish ships, but the battle was inconclusive. Little is known about their trading practices, but it is believed that they traded extensively with other Native American tribes in the area, as well as with Europeans. Photo source: Moving to Tampa, Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida, 2002. By around 5000 BC, people started living in villages near wetlands. Those few that remained on the mainland were absorbed into the Seminoletribe; however, their language and culture survived up to the Second Seminole Wars close. It was not conserved and is in poor shape, but it is displayed at the nature center in Marathon. Archaeologists have excavated many of these mounds to learn more about these extinct people. (Public Domain ). The Calusa knew of the Spanish before this landing, however, as they had taken in Native American refugees from the Spanish subjugation of Cuba. The Spanish careened one of their ships, and Calusas offered to trade with them. [4], The Calusa had a stratified society, consisting of "commoners" and "nobles" in Spanish terms. The priests wore carved masks, which were at other times hung on the walls inside a temple. Previous indigenous cultures had lived in the area for thousands of years. Shells were discarded into huge heaps. Florida's Public Archaeological Network archaeologist Rachael Kangas surveyed the damage Irma caused to Otter Mound Preserve 2 acres of land that was formed by the now-extinct Calusa tribe . Living and surviving on the coast caused the tribesmen to become great sailors. The capital of the Calusa, and where the rulers administered from, was Mound Key, near present day Estero, Florida. The Calusa king had the power of life and death over his subjects and was thought by them to be able to intercede with the spirits that sustained the environments bounty. C enturies before countries such as the United Arab Emirates and China started building islands, the Calusa Indians living in southwest Florida were piling shells into massive heaps to construct their own water-bound towns.. One island in particular, Mound Key, was the capital of the Calusa kingdom when Spanish explorers first set foot in the area. "[6] In 1564, according to a Spanish source, the priest was the chief's father, and the military leader was his cousin. The earliest written descriptions of these people come from Spanish explorers, who sought to convert and conquer them. 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 were more powerful in number . Water World. They began preliminary investigations of the fort, which was located on Mound 2 and housed one of the first Jesuit missions established in the U.S. The Calusa men were tall and well built with long hair. The Calusa case also illustrates remarkably sophisticated engagements with, and long-term large-scale management of, coastal and estuarine environments.. [13][11] Artifacts of wood that have been found include bowls, ear ornaments, masks, plaques, "ornamental standards", and a finely carved deer head. The Calusa were conquered by the Spanish in 1763. Its construction is made entirely of shells and clay. They were skilled fishermen and their economy was based on fishing and shellfish. By the year 1600, they were carrying on regular trade with Havana, Cuba. The Calusa were a very successful tribe, and had a number of traditions that set them apart from other tribes in the area. "The Calusa: A Stratified, Nonagricultural Society (With Notes on Sibling Marriage)." The Calusa kingdom was eventually devastated by European diseases as well as slave raids by enemy tribes. Many smaller tribes were constantly watching for these marauding warriors. There is evidence that the people intensively exploited Charlotte Harbor aquatic resources before 3500 BC. However, it is likely that they were eventually assimilated into other tribes in the area. This lasted until about 1750, and included the historic Calusa people. 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. 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. The Calusas were one of the few North American Indian tribes who were ruled by a hereditary king. Shell mounds can still be found today in many parts of southern Florida. The signing will provide an opportunity for the public to meet Joseph, an independent scholar of Florida history, and discuss his novel, which tells of the history of the Calusa Indians, who once took up residence on . ( Public Domain ). 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 last few Calusa probably fled to Cuba or merged with the Seminoles who moved into South Florida in the 1800s. He was also attacked by the Calusa. Beginning roughly 2,000 years ago, the Calusa enjoyed centuries of dominance as the undisputed rulers of southwest Florida. Please try again in a few minutes. The Calusa king initially allied himself with Menendez, hoping to gain an advantage over his rivals elsewhere in the Florida peninsula.. When the Spanish arrived in Florida in the early 16 th century, the Calusa were already in possession of a complex centralized government. 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Previous indigenous cultures had lived in the area for thousands of years. This page was last edited on 1 April 2023, at 04:02. This is still a popular sport today. By the late 1700s, enemy tribe attacks reduced the strength of the proud Calusa tribe. [5] A few leaders governed the tribe. 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. A Calusa alligator head carved out of wood, excavated at Key Marco in 1895, on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. [Online]Available at: http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/calusa/calusa1.htm, Florida Museum of Natural History, 2016. One of the most important ceremonies was the Green Corn Dance, which was held to celebrate the harvest. The men and boys of the tribe made nets from palm tree webbing to catch mullet, pinfish, pigfish, and catfish. They were the largest and most powerful tribe in Florida at the time of first contact with Europeans. Soon 20 war canoes attacked the Spanish, who drove off the Calusa, killing or capturing several of them. The Calusa are said to have been a socially complex and politically powerful tribe, and most of southern Florida was controlled by them. 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 fort is the only Spanish structure built atop a shell mound in Florida. The Calusa people were an important tribe of Florida. Instead, they fished for food on the coast, bays, rivers, and waterways. The other two souls left the body after death and entered into an animal. Unfortunately, we dont know exactly how long the Calusa tribe lived, because there is very little information about them. They recovered various types of Spanish artifacts such as majolica ceramics, hand-wrought nails and spikes, a bale seal and olive jar sherds, as well as native artifacts. 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. 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. Archaeologists have excavated many of these mounds to learn more about these extinct people. They had a complex religion that included rituals and ceremonies. Additionally, they had (as their name suggests) a fierce, war-like reputation. American Archaeology cover, featuring Florida Museum illustration by Merald Clark. 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