Caloosahatchee culture

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Caloosahatchee culture is a name for a prehistoric Native American culture located on the southwestern coast of what is now Florida on the Gulf of Mexico . It can be proven for the period from around 500 to 1750 AD. The settlement area ranged from the shores of Estero Bay to Charlotte Harbor . The inland was also populated up to half the way to Lake Okeechobee and roughly encompasses the current administrative units of Charlotte and Lee Counties. At the time of the first contact with the Europeans, the distribution area of ​​the Caloosahatchee culture formed the core of the area of ​​influence of the Calusa .

Artifacts were found in the cultural region that can be assigned to the Archaic period , and in some cases also to the early Arachic period. There is evidence that the Charlotte Harbor region dates back to before 3500 BC. Was used intensively for fishing. Around 500 BC Simple clay pots appeared in the region, which come from the Glades culture , the techniques of the Glades culture were further developed in the Caloosahatchee region until around 500 AD. A complex social structure with a high population density emerged around 800. Later periods of the Caloosahatchee culture are archaeologically identified by the appearance of clay vessels of other traditions.

The coast, which was settled by the Caloosahatchee culture, is a very water-rich estuary area , there is an extensive network of waterways, bays and peninsulas that are protected on the sea side behind some barrier islands. The estuary is fed by the Caloosahatchee , Myakka and the Peace Rivers , and the region is rich in mangroves and seaweed.

The Caloosahatchee belong to the so-called mound builders, which means that they erected artificial hills known as mounds. The mounds of the Caloosahatchee settlements were partly built on mountains of rubbish that had arisen near the village, mainly consisting of mussels and shell remains, but also of rubbish and rubbish deliberately brought to certain places. The spectrum ranges from small heaps of waste to complex systems, which included mounds with platforms, open spaces, waterways and canals. Today's Mound Key Archeological State Park , the Mound Key archaeological site in the middle of Estero Bay near the present-day city of Fort Myers Beach , covers an area of ​​approximately 30 hectares with mounds up to 10 meters high. A canal flows into the area through two mounds and ends in a rectangular pool of water.

The people of the Caloosahatchee culture obtained between 80 and 90% of their animal food from the water, both fish and crabs. Smaller portions of the diet were covered by deer and other mammals, ducks and various water birds, as well as alligators, turtles, manatees and sea urchins. The vegetable parts included various wild roots, the fruits of Opuntia and palm trees, as well as other berries and fruits growing in the region.

Devices and household items were made from wood, bone, stone, and shells. Stones provided with holes were used to weigh down the fishing nets. Ladles, cups, spoons, beads , cutting tools, and hammers were all made from seashells. People made awls, beads, needles and the like from bones. Ceremonial plates and trays were made from stones that were not available in the region, presumably imported from other regions.

Although the Key Marco settlement area is outside the range of the Caloosahatchee culture, very similar and closely related artifacts have been found there, especially those made of wood and rope. The threads or ropes were probably made from the fibers of palm trees and used to make nets. Wooden artifacts from Key Marco include masks, painted carvings of animals, carved and decorated plates, and small models of canoes that may have been intended as toys.

literature

  • Jerald T. Milanich: Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe. University Press of Florida, 1995, ISBN 0-8130-1360-7
  • "Chapter 10. The Caloosahatchee Region" in Jerald Milanich, Ed. Florida Historical Contexts. State of Florida Division of Historical Resources, 1993, accessed September 8, 2008 (PDF file; 40 kB)

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