The Timucua

The Timucua. . , The Timucua were a Native American nation that lived in northeastern and central Florida. Nocoroco, here on Tomoka Point was the first Timucuan village encounter by Spanish explorers as they traveled south from St. Augustine. Timucuan villages were ruled by a chief. Social position in a clan was passed through the mother’s brother. , Daily life included gathering shellfish, fishing, and growing crops such as corn and squash. Meals were communally cooked in the village. Clans had a religious leader that conducted ceremonies for the important activities of the village. , At the time of European contact the population was believed to be tens of thousands. By 1698 exposure to European diseases devastated the Timucua to less than 1000. The last known Timucuan died in 1767.