La Florida's Early Peoples

La Florida's Early Peoples. Florida De Soto Trail. , Born of Nomads , The early peoples of the Americas were descended from nomadic tribes that arrived during the last Ice Age, more than 12,000 years ago. Florida’s climate resembled that of savannah Africa. Early hunters tracked mastodons, mammoths, giant sloths, bison, horses, and saber-toothed cats., Putting Down Roots , At the end of the Ice Age, water levels rose, and Florida’s people moved inland. Villages began to appear. Artistic and functional earthenware ceramics were produced. Coastal peoples fished the bays, rivers, and inlets, while others farmed the interior of Florida. Trading developed between villages., Defining a Way of Life , On the Gulf Coast, villages were built along major trade routes. They featured great mounds constructed of dirt and shell, which served religious, defensive, and social functions. Archaeological evidence suggests that the religious culture of these Gulf peoples influenced tribal societies throughout the Southeast., Refining Roles , Villages were governed by a chief, who oversaw intertribal relations and the distribution of food. Village priests performed healings, burials, and cleansing rituals to honor the spirits of ancestors and gods. Warrior clans were the only exclusively male group in villages. The men proved their fighting skills by protecting their villags and raiding surrounding chiefdoms., War and Peace , Peace or war between villages was often based upon the strength of trade and family ties. Spanish explorers took advantage of these alliances and feuds when dealing with the many native societies they encountered.