The Calusa: Fishermen Kings of Florida

[@ambassadorofpeboiv5366]

I’ve been waiting for this video for so long. It’s hard being obsessed with a culture that’s both extinct and almost unknown

[@AncientAmericas]

I hope it was worth the wait!

[@ambassadorofpeboiv5366]

@ absolutely!

[@theodoresmith5272]

@@AncientAmericas as a fisherman that has been in Florida 50 years, your video and minutemen's video on the Wendover site, I was kind of surprised to hear the months they spent on the coast. July through Nov is hurricane season. I put my thinking cap on. Here is what I think is the reasons. 3 factors. I've been to the largest deserts on 4 continents. Death valley was 117 out. It wasn't that bad. The hottest it feels anywhere is bell glade Florida in the mornings from July to Nov. Wear a bathing suit. The humidity is 1000% and it's nearly 100 out. It's miserable. The second is it's the rainy season and the south of the state becomes a swamp. The mosquitoes are unbelievable. They went to the coast for the breeze. Lastly, this is a time when the bays are full of scale baits, like sardines, in the late summer. Which are pretty easy and not dangerous to catch. Next is the mullet run which is a wild kingdom event with millions moving south down the beach and filling the inlets. You can catch them with your hands. Plus all the fish eating them. Netting is one way to catch fish but the easiest is a fish trap. The mangroves and grass flats have many creeks. A simple fence with a door was used to close off the creek. They opened the door as the tide came up so fish could swim in and closed it when the tide was full so the fish cant swim out. They would come back 6 hours later when the tide was out and pick the fish up off the ground. Past Nov. it gets cooler and dryer, they move to the middle of the state. Also besides some shrimp runs, the fishing inshore isn't nearly as good. I think I nailed it. Seriously that pretty much puts the puzzle pieces together. I would also imagine that they almost always had ventures back and forth to the coast and to the lake areas. Just my thought

[@Akio-fy7ep]

Me too! Wondering why people piled shells so high, all across the continent and south to Tierra del Fuego. It was hard work carrying all your shells to the top, and wouldn't be done for no reason when you could just chuck them in the sea if they were in the way. "A place for the chief's house" is not plausible; that idea would arise only after there were already high mounds. A marker you could see from out at sea might be plausible; the ones in St Louis would serve for people out in or across the river. There should be written records of such use.

[@shelbssellscheeseshells1739]

​@theodoresmith5272 Are the walking catfish native to Florida as well? I grew up seeing them in Marco after a good flood and I'd imagine it's nice to have your food walk up to your door

[@CrowEnthusiast]

It felt so surreal at 16:40 when you mentioned the fishing nets made of palm fiber cordage, because at that moment I was actually twisting some saw palm fibers into rope! I'm glad to partake in continuing an ancient tradition that I know so little of. This video is fantastic. Thank you.

[@xAlexZifko]

That's cool. I'd watch a video of u doing that

[@london-ps9kg]

@@xAlexZifkoI agree that sounds so cool

[@CrowEnthusiast]

@@xAlexZifko it's pretty cool, yeah, but it's a bit of a repetitive boring process so I fear it wouldn't be too entertaining 😅

[@Melian-2202]

What could have possibly compelled you to twist palm fibers into rope? 😂

[@xAlexZifko]

@@CrowEnthusiast look at it this way, there are near infinite lifetimes of like, Minecraft content on KZbin. I have personally never seen a video of anybody twisting palm fiber into rope. While it might not be a high adrenaline thing, there are are least a handful of us in these comments who'd support you. Just post back and let us know if you ever get around to it :)

[@nathanbot5373]

I’ve always wondered how indigenous people of Florida felt with hurricanes. I can only imagine how terrifying they were back then

[@AncientAmericas]

The coastal environment was actually much more resistant to hurricanes and swells than it is today because of the forests. Now that so many have been removed, the area is much more vulnerable.

[@Vshamann336]

no where near as horrifying because of the giant trees and other natural enviroments that gave protection, that our dumbasses destroyed.

[@board-qu9iu]

@@AncientAmericasis it also because of swamps? I know that helped New Orleans when there were more barrier islands in the past

[@theliato3809]

@@board-qu9iumore people living right in the flash zones don’t help too.

[@AncientAmericas]

Yes, I've read that as well. Development around New Orleans has left it particularly vulnerable.

[@lpd1snipe]

Native Floridian here. Some of my ancestry goes back to the Spanish land grants before Florida became part of the United States after 1821. It's nice to know the history of the indigenous people that came before us.

[@DM5550Z]

Did you take a DNA test? And do you suspect many other people have ancestry from spanish Florida

[@seminolewar]

Excellent program! I was a park ranger in SW Fla and am very familiar with what you are saying. If I may add: We can see evidence of climate change on Pine Island by the shellfish they were harvesting. Times that are warm with high water have different shellfish than cooler times with low water. Dr. Julian Granberry did some great research trying to piece together the Calusa language from Spanish records. He concluded that it was a Tunica language similar to what the Natchez spoke. The Calusa can be considered that last true mound builders that still survived when the Spanish arrived. When Ponce de Leon was sailing around Cape Romano on his first voyage, they ran into a native who cussed him out in Spanish. Said to be a refugee from Hispaniola. Dr. John Worth found records in Cuba where 500 Calusa were baptized when they arrived from Florida. So more may have survived than all of them dying on ships on the way over. Just food for thought.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thanks! That is very interesting! Wish I had known because those are awesome details that I would have loved to include.

[@DM5550Z]

They should do dna studies on cubans and suspected areas where calusa refugees settled. Calusa dna is without a doubt distinct from the taino of cuba who descended from the arawak of the south america amazon.

[@seminolewar]

@@DM5550Z The problem is two things: Do we have Calusa DNA sequenced? And, good luck getting the Cuban government to agree to that.

[@seminolewar]

@AncientAmericas well you got a few things in there that I've been trying to talk about for years. That there are differences enough between Glades Culture, Marco Island, and Mound Key that indicates they were different cultures separated by centuries. And the indications on sea level and climate change that we can see in archeology.

[@Larry-dt7kz]

Are you implying there was climate change before the 1900's? Oh,say it's not so!

[@aaronpatmor1243]

I left a comment recently about how I would love to see more content about Florida's ancient cultures and this is like a dream come true. Amazing video!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@blazemara1624]

I’m so happy this video was made by someone with a platform who values history and evidence instead of so much vibes-based nonsense that makes up the extent of most Floridians’ knowledge of the original people of this land. The fact that our state and federal government loves to wage war on history, to maintain its colonial grip on our imaginations, depresses me more often than not, but sometimes I am able to turn that feeling into bursts of energy with which I can maybe do some small thing to push our collective understanding of this peninsula in the right direction. I’ll be digging into this bibliography now, which is such a gift you’ve provided us.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I'm always pleased to hear when people use the bibliography.

[@ryasnipes6068]

Well said blazemara1624!

[@dancurry1623]

Perfectly said!

[@haroldsullivan2036]

Growing up in Naples mound key was always a neat local gem. I’ve found many pottery shards there. The various ditches and bottoms of valleys on the island are full of all kinds of old calusa artifacts. Hammer heads, pottery, you name it.

[@AncientAmericas]

Just curious, do they ever do tours of the mounds there? Is there anything on site discussing the local history?

[@4quall]

​​@@AncientAmericas you can visit the Shell rings in Hilton Head South Carolina. Huge circular rings that surrounded the village and created Middens that formed well basically a ring ha . it's a really neat place.

[@aaronpatmor1243]

@@AncientAmericasI grew up around Sarasota and barely ever learned about the Calusa despite mounds sporadically still existing. There were a few parks that displayed native artifacts, but many of them placed more focus on Spanish conquest rather than the natives

[@BarefootFarmFL]

​@@AncientAmericas Naples native here. You can absolutely take tours of Mound Key. It's a really amazing site

[@SSHitMan]

​@@AncientAmericasI've kayaked to Mound Key before. There's pottery shards everywhere and there are trails. There's signs that tell some of the island's history. But even more fascinating to me is Sandfly Island near Everglades City. The entire island was basically shaped by the Calusa, they even built an artificial harbor.

[@TrickyVickey]

I have studied the Calusa since a friend got me interested in them in around 2005. I even went to the Fl Natural History Museum on campus in Gainesville and saw the articles you show cased in this video as well as the modeled King and his sister wife (and their father was the one on the far left). The painting on wood of the ivory billed woodpecker(now extinct) spitting out the three colored beads is what intrigued me then because it symbolized the three levels of existence. Heaven, earth, and underworld are symbolized by the beads. I found their “three soul” belief you shared interesting as it points to the number three being important to them. I tried after that to go to Marco Island but there was no regular charter and could not on short notice and it being a one day trip) find an independent boat to hire though I did attempt too. I resorted to driving around and seeing a couple of massive shell middens and one was at an old house being rebuilt and much shell in piles was dug fresh for me to look through though I was only examining. I would not have taken even one shell, besides I was probably trespassing just being there. I was during my quest for things Calusa. I learned at that time that surviving remnants of the Calusa also went to the other tribes in Florida and the Miami Indians if they are very tall considered by the tribe to be “Calusa” because Calusa were above average height. The other Indian’s were afraid of them for their fierceness as you mentioned. I went to several different area’s in Florida learning about the various tribes and visiting them on their reservation’s.

[@kathyjohnson2043]

I've always thought that the Ivory Bill is still out there in the swamps. There have been some recent recordings and trail camera pictures that are being analyzed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[@4quall]

@TrickyVickey They went up to the great lakes? Thats where the Miami were. I had never heard that.

[@4quall]

Ah you were referring to Mayaimi 😂 I'm a goof ha I thought you were referring to the Miami of Illinois.

[@drswaqqinscheckingin7210]

Who told you they were extinct? Some scientist that's not even out in the field looking for them or a statistician staring at "confirmed siting" graphs? I've got a half dozen or so living in the trees by my house I see them poke their heads out of their roost holes in the early morning every morning, that red crest and white/yellow beak are unmistakable.

[@kathyjohnson2043]

@drswaqqinscheckingin7210 that is not an Ivory Bill then, that is a Pileated Woodpecker, its smaller cousin the Ivory Vill was more than twice as big! , a real flying dianesour. They are officially declared extinct

[@kevinelruler]

Please never stop working on your channel

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@octo4012]

I think one of the really interesting things about the calusa (and about Florida in general) is how it connected to the Caribbean via trade. You noted the papaya and chili peppers, which probably got there from Cuba or the Yucatán. Not sure if this was mentioned, but I also have found references to a Spanish record indicating that a number of Taino from Cuba were permitted by the calusa chief to resettle in Florida as they fled from the Spanish. Outside the calusa domain in East Florida, there’s also an old but fascinating record of a stone axe of Bahamian Taino origin being found. It’s really interesting seeing Florida as a place where north American culture and the South American-originated cultures of the Caribbean interacted.

[@octo4012]

Rewatched and saw you did mention theorized refugees. I’m not sure if the original Spanish source is theoretical based on the Spanish speaker or is an actual record of refugees moving from Cuba

[@AncientAmericas]

The account I read said this as a matter of speculation but I think it makes a lot of sense.

[@gunnasintern]

in the same way that Central America and Northern South America have always been a part of the Caribbean, the same can be said for Indigenous Florida, but it has more North American influence (just like CenAm’s South American influence)

[@benyahudadavidl]

Yes, these people were Israelites ie Shemites ie Negros according to actual history. See journals and letters of the early invaders from Europe. They spoke Hebrew all up and down the east coast to the Caribbean and Mexico. See De la casas from primary sources. Shalom

[@octo4012]

@@benyahudadavidl theres tons of indigenous languages in those regions and they arent linked to hebrew. There have also been genetic studies on populations of the Americas. That includes genetic analysis of pre-columbian individuals from those regions which show amerindian genetics rather than ones connected to africa or the middle east. It's not the easiest to get genetic samples from tropical mesoamerica but what mitochondrial DNA we have gotten generally shows haplogroups originating from Asia. We've done genetic studies on mississippians and algonqians from the united states and they show amerindian ancestry also. If there was presence of a large old world hebrew-speaking population in the americas there would be very clear genetic and linguistic evidence that would survive to the modern day. There are plenty of surviving native american languages from these regions and they are very much not related to hebrew.

[@jackalwaysfaded1374]

As a saw Florida native, we learned about these groups back in school. Glad to see we are still learning about them

[@saucywench9122]

I have to give serious props to the Calusa king for having someone that appeared out of nowhere speaking Spanish. Mad respect, it's a huge loss the tribe is gone. Can you imagine the stories they would've had about life back then? Out of every North American tribe these guys are my new favorite.

[@nathanmcfarland3568]

Thank you for making these, I'd never heard of theze people and the only Florida community I'd known of was the Seminole, so it's great to hear about more. It's fascinating that on opposite ends of America there are complex fishing peoples, had an essay assignment in an anthro class asking whether it's possible to have complex sedentary society without agriculture, glad to see I may have picked the historically correct answer.

[@freakrx2349]

0:24 It’s so bizarre to look at reconstructions what the Calusa looked like because they resemble Pacific Islanders despite being Native Americans from Florida.

[@yaoming-j6g]

Some Natives really are Polynesian.

[@DM5550Z]

@@yaoming-j6gSource?

[@hughjass4736]

There is no resemblance lmao

[@Rork333]

I had this convo with my wife the other day. You are confusing "mixed islander" with Pacific or Polynesian Islanders. Lost of island tribes end up with similar feature thru convergent evolution. But it's a product of interbreeding across seafaring island dwelling peoples and not specifically genetic. She was referring to someone from Cape Verde as having Polynesian features

[@colatf2]

There is a rising theory that some Polynesians crossed the Pacific Ocean and landed in South America. Unfortunately, South Florida is very far away so probably did not meet any.

[@palmerh2492]

Absolutely wonderful to see this!!! This is a culture that is SO important in anthropology and so under discussed. Understanding non-agricultural societies a serious blindspot to much of anthropology, at best pastoralism is covered, but true aquacultural societies, rarely! Im wo exited!!! Proud of you!!!!

[@rk41gator]

Interesting video. Since the Caribs were fierce people, it was unsurprising that the Calusa were also. I grew up in Naples with a strong interest in Native American cultures, but while the Calusa were well known as the original inhabitants, little knowledge of their people or culture was known. As you relate little of their culture survived, so your piece was eye-opening. Now, sadly, there is nothing left of the canal they created from the Naples pier to the bay. And I had no idea their architecture was so extravagant nor knew that they survived into the 18th century. Thanks.

[@edwardroche2480]

This was a great video very informative thanks

[@recmuralartcommission1993]

I did a school project on the St Augustine settlement and I must say, the Calusa are one of the coolest indigenous groups I've learned about

[@mr.j.f.simmons1135]

Florida native here w/family dating back here to the early 1900's. Having studied the Tocobago, Calusa, Timicuan and Appalachee Indians, I am very happy to see this well-organized video and would like to thank those responsible. My interest specific to the Calusa is their possible link to Mesoamerica through trade and/or culture. Their links to the Mississippian Culture and many early newspaper articles regarding the bones of giants is very interesting.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I didn't come across any specific connections to Mesoamerica in my research. Doesn't mean they aren't there but we haven't come across the right evidence yet.

[@johnwpipes8927]

I live in SW Florida and enjoyed your video. If anyone is ever near Marco Island, they have a wonderful museum, Marco Island Historical Museum, with lots of Calusa displays and artifacts…even the Key Marco Cat!

[@Bdynysus]

Yo! I have lots of downtime at work, and it's happily filled with your videos! Thanks!

[@AncientAmericas]

Happy to help!

[@lboiv001]

FINALLY! Someone is making a video aout the Calusa! My Mom - an anthropologist - would have loved this!

[@hilaryavera9391]

It's easy to forget how interesting our own homes can be. Really cool to hear about this as a Cape Coral native. Great video, keep doing what you're doing!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@nowhereman6019]

Ah yes, the original Florida Man.

[@tysonclark5974]

Lowest hanging fruit. Make one more joke?

[@aurelian2668]

​@@tysonclark5974 florida man, ah yes original

[@erisdiscordia5429]

@@tysonclark5974 He couldn't write, ended up moving in with his brother. Seems about right.

[@nowhereman6019]

@tysonclark5974 I had to get it in there.

[@noel3422]

America has enough finger pointers already.

[@sampagano205]

20:03 honestly, the fact that so many examples of complex societies where the basic subsistence is fish in the Americas is itself a really fascinating thing.

[@ScorpioXVirgo]

I think about doggerland and how most of all humans have lived very close to water and how all the historical societies that are currently underwater 😭

[@eternalpadawan1]

Loving this channel, I got hooked a week ago and just can't stop watching over here in England

[@AncientAmericas]

My guess is that they had everything they needed. Also, the Caribbean would have already been settled so they would not have been striking out towards new undiscovered lands.

[@benjaminpahl743]

My Anthropology professor told a theory that they farmed fish that were very high in salt content. They would then dry and powder the fish and trade it as salt. This in turn made them very wealthy and powerful.

[@AncientAmericas]

That is very interesting!

[@ShadesOfMisery]

Fun fact: there is a Civ 5 mod that adds the Calusa to the game and they are crazy good.

[@AncientAmericas]

WHAT?! I NEED THIS NOW!

[@DukeAlba]

That fish's existential stare into the camera at 0:48 hits deep

[@matthewwithum8372]

😂

[@BrennanSawyer-o3v]

Im always super excited whenever a new Ancient Americas video comes out!!!!!

[@AncientAmericas]

So am I. It means its time to move to the next adventure.

[@LeGoldTelesto]

Yes! Let’s fucking go! We’ve finally got some coverage of Florida’s lost tribes!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thanks! I've had many requests over the years to cover the Calusa.

[@Akio-fy7ep]

The Davids Graeber and Wengrow have a lot to say about the Calusa's political arrangements. As I recall, the king ruled absolutely when he was in sight, but nobody paid him or what he wanted any mind when he wasn't.

[@AncientAmericas]

Their book is actually the first time I ever heard about the Calusa.

[@johnsavage6651]

F word not necessary. But, happy for your enthusiasm.

[@Raichu253]

Another banger by the American History goat. I absolutely love the settlement layout/planning pictures, they really put into perspective the communities these impressive peoples created

[@TheStormey]

I just found your channel and actually clicked on this video because I live on the east coast of Florida , near the Space Center and I don't know how but I know hardly anything of these people! I'm very excited to hear about them, thank you❤

[@mariaelenaloveslove]

I live on a florida shellmound between a river and a creek. I keep the whole acre green wild canopy i think of these people everyday. Thanks 4 sharing so much info.

[@rupertheem7839]

Thank you for making these videos as a mexican even though that's irrelevant to this video it's been so fun and good learning about the indigenous ancestors before,during,and after spanish contact it's really interesting and helpful keep it up please

[@garafanvou6586]

The cross gulf theory proposes that ancient Maya traveled to Florida. So maybe you’re not far off. Unless you’re of European ancestry, in which case, thanks for the valemadrismo.

[@jenjar178]

Amazing! You read my mind! I was wondering about precolombian Florida just a few days ago when I realized I knew nothing about it. Seems like great timing!

[@Watermashen]

Always excited to see a new video! Just as I was about to go to bed, thanks for the uploads man. Hope you're well and keep up the good work!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@apala734]

I cannot express how thankful I am for this channel. It is so incredible to me how there were so many cultures with THOUSANDS of years of history on the continent of North america that were never taught to us. This is just so fascinating and I wish that we had learned this. I'm grateful to learn it now, but I can't help but feel like I was robbed of knowledge. This channel has greatly broadened my picture of humanity and our long complex history.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@xochiltepetzalailhuicamina2322]

I'm surprised you didn't talk of the calusa language. Some think that their language is related to the Mississippian Culture/Tunica tribe of Arkansas/Mississippi/Louisiana. Some of their art and like the long beaked bird definitely points to Mississippian influence like the Birdman, Canals and earthen mounds and the warming phase also coincides with Mississippian Culture.

[@AncientAmericas]

I had heard that it was a Tunican relative but none of my sources discussed the language. It'd be great to learn more.

[@xochiltepetzalailhuicamina2322]

@AncientAmericas Ah I understand great video still.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@ancilodon]

Check out "The Calusa: Linguistic and Cultural Origins and Relationships" by Julian Granberry. Although Bob Carr said there were some holes in it. I haven't yet had the chance to ask for details.

[@io6657]

In the diaries of Jonathan Dickinson he said the chiefs call themselves Caciques which is the name used by the Tiano Indians of the Caribbean

[@alanl.4252]

Always excited to see when a new video drops! Love the Calusa! Can’t wait to see what other cultures you cover next!

[@octo4012]

I first learned about the calusa in 2022 from the Florida state museum while I was visiting, and they have stayed one of my favorite Native American cultures, and their destruction is brutally emblematic of the impacts of colonialism and the trade of Native American slaves.

[@primoojo6216]

Did my midterm essay on the Calusa and still learned a ton from this video, thanks!

[@gregorygeorge924]

I remember in Columbus' first voyage of his landing in the Bahamas. The natives there told him of the warlike tribes towards the northwest of there, pointing towards Florida. That's why he headed in a different direction so he didn't have to encounter them. I spent alot of time learning about all the European exploerers and their travels and the mound builders. There's always room for more information that others didn't touch on

[@benyahudadavidl]

Stop calling them explorers. They were homicidal, genocidal savages who knew where they were going and who they were attacking. Shalom

[@mynameisportal]

I adore the calusa! I briefly lived in Florida but never got a chance to see any of their gorgeous shell mounds. Love the work like always!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thanks!

[@colatf2]

I love learning about my state’s history. I really wish they had lessons on this when I was in school, but KZbin and museums will have to do.

[@cthulues5527]

Thank you for this. I live in Fort Myers and it’s very interesting to see the history of the area. I was looking for a nice Informational video.

[@PythagorasHyperborea]

Finally! I’ve been craving some more sassy history lately.

[@gunslinger5132]

This makes me so happy. A video of the people who I’ve been seeing traces off my entire life.

[@FromNothing]

6:35 As someone from Florida, I can attest that there are virtually NO rocks almost anywhere. Aside from limestone in some places most rocks that I encountered in Florida were imported for road building or gardens but you can't just dig in your yard and find a rock or an outcropping very easily like you can in most places. Especially rocks like chert and flint. You'll find almost exclusively clay and sand when digging in Florida.

[@AncientAmericas]

Great to see you here! I've never been to south Florida so the geology is completely unknown to me personally. It's always nice to hear locals chime in!

[@philb5]

Cedar key to Crystal River( Wasskasassa bay) is loaded with limestone islands and the mainland is also. Plenty of Churt.

[@logancatron2239]

Honestly its amazing what anthropologist are able to glean. Despite the complete desecration of cultures by the colonizers. I appreciate chamnels such as this

[@mightymorty5113]

I turn 20 tomorrow and this video is the perfect celebration!

[@WildVoltorb]

Happy birthday! 🎉

[@AncientAmericas]

Happy birthday!

[@4quall]

Happy Birthday Chicago Morty

[@dogwarlock]

happy birthday !

[@grantdraus7449]

Happy birthday, Morty!

[@shelbssellscheeseshells1739]

Thank you Patrons! I grew up in that area and previously all I had heard was they were the dominant warriors of the area, and suspiciously taller than everyone nearby

[@glenn71144]

Thank you once again for a great video. I am sure King Carlos also apprciates the acknowledgment.

[@dankurz7675]

Thanks for the response. Most of all, many thanks for the stupendous effort to pull this all together and make it available on line! Nice job! Nearly 50 years ago, when my family and I went cross country, we picked up a South American of Indian descent that was hitchhiking from the coast of California (somewhere north of S.F. If memory serves) to Seattle. As we didn’t share a language, we communicated with hand signs and head nods. He was with us for about two days. He frequently pulled garlic cloves out of his bag and offered us raw garlic prior to him eating it. While we knew why he smelled like he did, we were puzzled as to why he chewed on garlic instead of pretzels. We shrugged our shoulders and said why. At first he didn’t understand. Then it dawned on him. He waved his hand side to side, and then mimicked the sound of mosquitoes. I think we understood!

[@spacebunny4335]

What a great video watched as soon as I saw it. I found out about the Calusa around a month ago and have been fascinated by them since.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@hillbillyhistorian1863]

Getting home from SEAC and seeing this in my KZbin feed?! What a Friday!

[@AncientAmericas]

I actually got invited to SEAC by an archaeology acquaintance but had to decline. Maybe I'll get out there one day.

[@hillbillyhistorian1863]

@ Nate Foaasen by any chance?

[@AncientAmericas]

Who else? ;)

[@hillbillyhistorian1863]

@@AncientAmericas I was lucky enough to meet to him at the reception yesterday. I went to his presentation about using D&D to teach excavation methods and it was fantastic.

[@tiffanysjustcoloring]

YES! Thank you for this 🙏🏻 I love your videos so much!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@houseofsolomon2440]

I reside right in the middle of former Tocabaga territory (St Pete). Always interested to hear about our impressive neighbors to the south.

[@Dragons_Armory]

The Spanish coming and saving the day for said people was not expected but always welcomed. Love the video, please do more of American cultures that are less covered in pop history. I feel like Im seeing the world anew every time you make one of these vids. You are not just an educator, you are resurrection those cultures to the public's eye.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@DM5550Z]

The spanish also saved other tribes, such as the apalachee

[@Akio-fy7ep]

The egalitarian and anti-propertarian coastal Indians of far-northern California are very interesting, especially as contrasted to their slave-keeping potlatching neighbors to the north.

[@Liliphant_]

​​@@Akio-fy7ep what are the names of those peoples so i can read more about them

[@K9CRE8IV]

Superb program. Best fishing I’ve ever done anywhere is around the Caloosahatchee River. Beautiful and historically interesting area is SWFL.

[@TrickyVickey]

I love ancient archeology. I never met a science I did not like and pursued to my satisfaction. I have studied the Calusa since a friend got me interested in them in around 2005. I even went to the Fl Natural History Museum on campus in Gainesville and saw the articles you show cased in this video as well as the modeled King and his sister wife (and their father was the one on the far left). The painting on wood of the ivory billed woodpecker(now extinct) spitting out the three colored beads is what intrigued me then because it symbolized the three levels of existence. Heaven, earth, and underworld are symbolized by the beads. The Anhinga bird was Sacred to them for this reason since they fly in the air(heaven), they live on land(earth), and they swim underwater(the underworld), I found their “three soul” belief you shared interesting as it points to the number three being important to them. I attempted short time later to go to Marco Island but when I got there there was no regular charter to the Island in place and could not on short notice on my day trip to find an independent boat to hire though I did attempt too. I resorted to driving around a dew hours and finding a couple of massive shell middens and one was at a historic old house being rebuilt and much shell in piles was dug fresh for me to look through though I was only examining. I would not have taken even one shell, besides I was probably trespassing just being there. I was during my quest for things Calusa. I learned at that time that surviving remnants of the Calusa also went to the other tribes in Florida and the Miami Indians if they are very tall considered by the tribe to be “Calusa” because Calusa were above average height. The other Indian’s were afraid of them for their fierceness as you mentioned. I went to several different area’s in Florida learning about the various tribes and visiting them on their reservation’s.

[@ArvelCrynyd]

Interesting how this video pops up on my feed a few weeks after I moved into the Charlotte Harbor area. Happy to learn about the ancient history of my new home!

[@MOEMUGGY]

Europeans weren't even aware Lake Okeechobee was there until 100 years after all the Native's died off from smallpox. The Native Floridians were just too mean to explore Florida's interior. When they were able to explore, they came across entire villages left abandoned. One of the artifacts they commonly found were swords made of human femurs. The Calusa and Ais were known to row their canoes over a mile out to sea and attack Spanish galleons.. These people were the meanest of all the native Americans.

[@genericallyentertaining]

I live in Florida, and I've been meaning to pay a visit to Mound Key for a long time. It seems now I have no excuse not to! Thanks for making this; I've been really looking forward to this episode.

[@TheTrekkie12]

I had never heard of this group before, but it was very interesting to learn about them! Also kind of giggling over "Carlos" because while i can kind of understand just from a pronunciation view how they got there it's just also not the name i would've expected.

[@robynnoah1763]

I really appreciate the bibliography

[@BaldingClamydia]

I've always lived in NE Florida, and my schools never said anything about any ancient Floridians (lol)! The history they covered started with Ponce de Leon and moved forward from there...but only to the end of WW2, because you know, history ended there. I remember flipping towards the back of the textbook and seeing sections on Vietnam and some current-ish presidents, but we never got that far

[@donovanmiller2382]

This is one that I have been waiting for, for so long!

[@heremapping4484]

Great work, have been waiting for this one 👍. The only obvious error would be at 22:48. Your discussion of a failed Spanish intrada in 1680 depicts the force as traveling along the atlantic coast. This force actually traveled by land and was turned back by warnings southeast of the Tampa bay.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I appreciate the clarification. The source wasn't super clear on the route.

[@mitchellmoody9309]

The time has finally come! I’ve waited for this moment for weeks :D

[@chuckh553]

Commenting to boost this video for the algo!!

[@AncientAmericas]

Much appreciated my good friend!

[@mrxcman9272]

A new Ancient Americas video is just what I needed today!

[@theodoresmith5272]

Alright! Something on my home state.

[@theodoresmith5272]

It was kind of a shocker to hear these people and the bog people of Wendover across the state went to the coast in July to Nov which is the hurricane season. So I thought about it and 2 major factors are why they did it with a 3rd more minor factor. 1st. I've been to the biggest deserts of 4 contents. I've been to Death valley and it was like 118degrees. My family all agreed it was that bad. Why? The hottest feeling place on the planet is belle glade, by lake Okeechobee, from July to Nov. at about 9am. Wear a bathing suit. The humidity is unbelievable and is nearly 100 degrees. They went to the coast for the breeze. The 2nd is the bugs. During the rainy season may to Nov. half the state is underwater. Mosquitoes are terrible. 3rd, as a fisherman, there are several runs of fish. The scale baits, like sardines, are in mass I the summer. The fall has the mullet run. It's wild kingdom. You mentioned nets but fish traps were probably used more. The mangroves and marsh grasses have may small creek openings. People would use sticks to make a fence with a door. Open the door as the tide is coming up. Close the door when the tide gets high. Come back 6 hours later and pick the fish up off the ground at low tide. That is also low risk and the kids and females can do it without getting hurt.

[@elgordodecentral1132]

this is so interesting, Im watching this because yesterday i was part of the 5k kaloosa trail, and part of the run was going on top of one of those mounds.

[@bvillafuerte179]

Curiosity: The first Thanksgiving took place in Spanish Florida in the year 1565 between Spaniards and Tequesta Indians.

[@beth12svist]

This is great - a topic that's truly new to me, I don't think the Calusa were covered in the extensive encyclopedia I grew up reading - though "Carlos" and "Don Felipe" may have got a mention, that did vaguely ring a bell. Some beautiful art for sure!

[@RedEdgedSavage]

The other original tribes like the Tequesta,Appalache, and others died off as well.. if im not mistaken, the few people who did survive were absorbed into other peoples..Spanish and Seminole

[@AncientAmericas]

That's my understanding as well.

[@RedEdgedSavage]

@AncientAmericas . Disease ended up being the main reason ..it was one of those early contact devastating outbreaks

[@DM5550Z]

Appalachee fascinate me because they are a sort of lost branch of the muskogean peoples, lacking any known continuous descendants. I really wish florida tribes got more dna samples and studying, as theres probably plenty of bones left which could teach us lots.

[@benyahudadavidl]

Stop lying. We are still here. That's something a group of people would say who stole everything they have from you. The American Indians are Israelites IE Shemites ie Black Americans. I am fascinated by the fact that nonblack people trust history out of the mouths of the same people who went around the world eating raping robbing murdering torturing genociding and enslaving innocent people for centuries. Always ask a Black person about history who is immune to white surpremacist scholarship. Shalawam ie Shalom 👊🏿🕎⚔️🏹🪶🌽💜🙏🏿😊

[@MrKconnell1]

Thanks for this, I’ve been patiently waiting.

[@AncientAmericas]

I appreciate the patience. This one took a long time.

[@Gidister]

All hail the all mighty Carlos!

[@AncientAmericas]

May he reign forever!

[@jas_nah]

found time to throw shade at the hapsburgs in a video about ancient florida, 10/10, subscribed

[@dubuyajay9964]

46:06. Perhaps a more indirect approach is needed. Since they were often erroneously referred to as "Carlos." Could some of their descendants adopted the Surname of "Carlos" or "Del Carlos?"

[@AncientAmericas]

Maybe? I honestly have no clue.

[@Piperdogloveshats]

Top 5 favorite video of yours! Great work as always! Thank you! I’m about to check out the article you recommended!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@Toxic8arbarian]

Oh shit time to lock in for some ancient Americas.

[@AncientAmericas]

Buckle up!

[@nickrios9664]

I actually go to school at FGCU which is a short car ride away from one of their mound settlements. We did a class field trip to the mound site and got to use Atlatals

[@SpartanNat]

22:03 A kind of random thought but one coming from a rocketry enjoyer: I wonder what the Indigenous Peoples of the area over the span of the entire time the Merritt Island/Cape Canaveral area has been inhabited would think if someone could tell them that area they lived in and that coastline would be the area that was used to take the first humans to the Moon.

[@fldon2306]

Great vid! Living in Florida, have been able to learn about Calusa peoples and visit some of the sites, including Pine Island, Marco and Thousand Islands; and there are shell mounds as far north as Osprey, just south of Sarasota. Visited FSM in Gainesville when I lived there too; the best place to learn about the Calusa culture. Multiple places and developments in Miami carry Calusa in their name, including an Elementary school in Kendall, so there’s recognition of our history!!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@jhosk]

A new video!!!

[@zddxddyddw]

You should make a video about the sedentary cultures of Northwest Argentina, who organized into complex societies and even built some cities in stone like Tastil and Quilmes, which thrived before the were conquered by the Incas and Spanish.

[@WildVoltorb]

Yo!

[@AncientAmericas]

A wild voltorb appeared!

[@lore5751]

That second photo is taken from the museum in my town! Love the content of the channel

[@AncientAmericas]

Local pride! Love it!

[@danthebruce]

We're witnessing the end of the Red Lobster Period

[@AncientAmericas]

A sad sight indeed.

[@dayalasingh5853]

Found your channel a couple days ago and have been going through your videos, didn't expect you to upload a new one this soon after finding your channel, and on such a cool topic that I know so little about too.

[@korkad_]

New ancient americas, yahoo!

[@christopherjustice6411]

Wonderful that you’re covering the first and thus far only civilization to exist in Florida.

[@AncientAmericas]

I assure you, there's more!

[@christopherjustice6411]

@ Looking forward to learning more. 👍 Just to clarify I was making a joke at the expense of modern Florida.

[@AncientAmericas]

I thought so but I didn't want to assume. I've mistaken very weird earnest opinions for sarcasm before.

[@menwithven8114]

I grew up in a street in Florida called "Calusa Trail". Its actually sad because my neighborhood had all native American street names that were forcefully changed years ago when the "wokeness" went out of control i believein 2020. As a kid in the 90s I researched and learned about around 10 different tribes from streets around me. Now it seems it's considered better to completely erase them from history

[@AncientAmericas]

That's a shame.

[@PrinceOthemitten]

New favorite KZbin channel. You’ll never learn about this stuff in my high school.

[@dubuyajay9964]

Did these people hunt or gather any plants or fungi from the land or the sea? Or did they live purely on fishing? And did any of their descendants integrate with the Seminoles/Black Seminoles when they were forced to move to Florida? Since Florida was forcibly converted into a reservation for multiple tribes like Oklahoma and the Four Corners States?

[@RedEdgedSavage]

I think most Calusa were dead or absorbed into another tribe ..or Spanish. Very few people of the original tribes in Florida survived at all and the ones that were were absorbed into Spanish and Seminole peoples

[@dubuyajay9964]

@UncagedSavage Thus I said "descendants" as there is a big gap between early 1700s and late 1800s.

[@RedEdgedSavage]

​@dubuyajay9964 . My mistake.. yeah..so few of them.. and maybe not any Calusa at all really..

[@AncientAmericas]

Good questions. Yes, they definitely made use of plants from the water and the land. (Not sure about fungi because those preserve poorly in archaeology.) Fishing was the main source of nutrients. The sources I read said that it's possible that some integrated into the Seminole tribe but we can't know for sure. If so, it doesn't appear that any Calusa cultural practices survived.

[@DM5550Z]

@@RedEdgedSavageThere were fishermen on the coast who spoke spanish and mixed with them.s

[@patagonianthylacine6306]

great video. it's funny to see how few images are even available to illustrate their history. hopefully the future will bring more knowledge of this nation

[@AncientAmericas]

Funny enough, there were lots of images. It's just that in case, those images cost a lot of money to license so I could only use so many.

[@gurpreetbajwa4490]

I'm going to put this in my watch later. I got to watch Mike Tyson kick Jake Paul's ass. Video. Looks dope!

[@jdwest34]

Who won?

[@AncientAmericas]

I totally forgot the fight was tonight.

[@EresirThe1st]

Comments that aged poorly lmao

[@cyclesaviorn2700]

Who couldve guessed that mike wouldnt throw a punch for the last six rounds in case he hurt jake

[@peter81083]

“….please direct your thanks to that” was great :)