Canaveral National Seashore Pre-Columbian People

Timucuan and Ai's often found sustenance at the water's edge.

NPS/Photo
Painting: Martin Pate

The Timucuan and the Ais are known to have established camps in the area of Canaveral National Seashore during the Late Archaic Period. This period is marked by less nomadic living and increased establishment of camps around water sources. Larger populations of people could be sustained and people could stay in one area for longer periods of time. In Florida this is due to the increase of fresh water areas and the decrease of large herd animals due to changes in the environment. A larger variety of tools began to expand the ways in which first natives acquired and prepared food.

In the Canaveral National Seashore area beginning in 2,000 Before Common Era (BCE), shellfish became increasingly important for dietary needs. Camps began forming along what is now called Mosquito Lagoon. The area environment was much like it is today. Fish and shellfish were plentiful in wetland areas. Archeological evidence suggests that residents established base camps for living and travelled short distances to processing site camps for shellfish harvesting and fishing where there would be only short stays. Shellfish harvesting was very popular. Sites were harvested until the shellfish were to small to harvest. They would then move to harvest in a different area, to allow for the overharvested site to recover. They would process oysters, clams, and fish at the waters edge. There they would smoke there foods on a drying rack over a smoldering fire. After which their catch could be stored away to be eaten at a later date. Canoes were in use to paddle into the lagoon for harvesting as well.

NPS/Photo

Detail from "Location of Indian tribes in the Southeast about the year 1650." (From Swanton, The Indians of the Southeastern United States.)

Sendentary living eventually created regional cultures. There is still debate as to whether or not the St. Johns River camps were the same people that harvested shellfish in the Mosquito lagoon or if it was a separate camp altogether. This means evidence is not clear yet whether this area was a stand alone group/unit or if they were related to the St. Johns river area cultural unit. Did they move migrate east to harvest and travel back west when finished? Or did they establish a long term base camp in this area? Some archeological evidence does point to some long term base camp's being established in areas such as the Edgewater Landing Archeological Site on the west edge of the lagoon.

Was the seashore land controlled by the Timucuan or the Ai's? It is unclear where exactly the boundary between the Timucuan and the Ai's lies. Archeological evidence points to the Surruque being a part of the Timucuan nation. Although the Ai's language matched the Surrruques more than the Timucuan. The Ai's are thought to be affiliated geogrphically with the southern part of the Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River which was once called Rio d' Ais by the Spanish. The Calusa are thought to communicate more with the Ai's than did the Timucuan.

Resources:

• Parker, S. R. (2008). Canaveral National Seashore historic resource study. Atlanta, GA: Cultural Resources Division, Southeast Regional Office, National Park Service.

Written by: Ashley Lord