Cultural and Environmental Learning Center

You are here:

T H E     C A L U S A     L E G A C Y REDISCOVERING THE FORGOTTEN FLORIDIANS by Arden Arrington Reprinted from American Archaeology Magazine Vol. 1, Number 2, Summer 1997 Since the time of Cushing scholars have been drawn to study Calusa culture, but never in such depth as during the past 15 years. In the summer of 1983, Tampa native Bill Marquardt began the Southwest Florida Project by mapping a large habitation mound on Josslyn Island in Pine Island Sound. Drawing from volunteer assistance and University of Florida funds, Marquardt began preliminary testing at Calusa sites throughout southwest Florida. As his research throughout the Calusa heartland progressed, he soon built a following of dedicated supporters and local volunteers. "Our field is inherently fascinating to many non-archaeologists, " says Marquardt, nowCurator in Archaeology for the Florida Museum of Natural History. "Local people now know that there are significant archaeological sites in their area worth preserving. Because the emerging archaeological story of south Florida is also the story of the Charlotte Harbor estuarine system, work by the Florida Museum carries with it implicit messages of environmental preservation. Working with a multi-disciplinary approach, Marquardt believes that informed archaeologists are well placed to serve as effective environmental messengers. Studies pursued by people trained in both archaeology and a relevant natural science--zooarchaeology, geology, archaeobotany are but a few-- are revolutionizing the profession, as those combined skills are then applied to increasingly sophisticated archaeological problems. Under Marquardt's leadership, Florida Museum scientists have made enlightening and important discoveries about the Calusa and their Archaic predecessors. For example, it is now known that Florida's coastal maritime adaptation occurred much earlier than previously thought, some seven thousand years ago. Immense shell mounds dot the coastal landscape, an archaeological record that has historically suggested a diet consisting primarily of shellfish. Fine mesh sifting techniques revealed great quantities of tiny fish bones previously undiscovered. Since the meat weight represented by the recovered fishbones is roughly four times that represented by the remains of the shellfish, we now know that the Calusa diet consisted overwhelmingly of fish. More than 80 species of fish, mollusks and crustaceans were gathered for food by the Calusa and their forbears. Because of the work of Florida Museum, our picture of human adaptation in southwest Florida has become much more clear. Marquardt's archaeobotanists study fine-screened flotation samples taken from stratigraphic excavations of Calusa sites. Their research has confirmed the Calusa's nonhorticultural tradition, while demonstrating that a wide variety of wild plants were used for food and fuel. Two thousand year old papaya seeds have been taken from the Pineland Site Complex, the only ones ever found in North America. Chili pepper seeds recovered at Pineland dating from near the same period may indicate that the Calusa preferred some foods cooked with spices. Research has shown that in addition to foods and fuel, plants provided raw materials for the manufacture of tools, containers, clothing, shelter, watercraft, weapons, and fishing gear, including nets. Previous     Next