What was the Tocobaga culture?

What was the Tocobaga culture?

THE TOCOBAGA. The “Tocobaga” tribe was comprised of several small chiefdoms such as Ucita, Pohoy, and Mococo, that ranged from today’s Pinellas County to Sarasota County. They maintained a fishing and hunting culture for approximately 600-800 years before being encountered by the Spanish explorers in the early 1500s.

Does the Tocobaga tribe still exist?

As a result, the Tocobaga Indians became extinct within the next 100 years. Archaeological digs in the Safety Harbor area of Florida have uncovered many artifacts, or man-made objects from the Tocobaga. Items such as plates and pots have been found indicating that the Tocobaga Indians were expert potters.

Who was the leader of the Tocobaga tribe?

Chief Uzita
In 1528 this Spanish soldier was captured by the Tocobaga tribe who lived around Tampa Bay. The head of the tribe, Chief Uzita, ordered that Ortiz be burned to death. His life was spared when Chief Uzita’s daughter pleaded for his life.

What did the Tocobaga men do?

They also assisted the shaman in the preparation of dead bodies. One Tocobaga practice was to boil the bodies, pick off the meat, break the bones at the joints, bundle them in deerskin and place them on a platform. One platform in south Florida was found to have held over 300 bundle burials.

What does the word Tocobaga mean?

Tocobaga (occasionally Tocopaca) was the name of a chiefdom, its chief, and its principal town during the 16th century. The name “Tocobaga” is often applied to all of the native peoples of the immediate Tampa Bay area during the first Spanish colonial period (1513-1763).

What was the population of the Tocobaga tribe?

It had an estimated population between 400 and 2500 people. A Tocobaga temple mound, made of alternating layers of shell and sand still, exists in that location today.

How did the Tocobaga travel?

The Tocobaga were engaged in transporting produce from Apalachee Province to St. Augustine, carrying it in canoes along the coast and up the Suwannee River and, probably, the Santa Fe River. Other people carried it overland the rest of the way to St. Augustine.

What did the Tocobaga Indians wear?

What does the Tocobaga tribe wear? The Tocobaga Native Americans usually wore very simple clothing made of deerskin. Clothing did not play a big role in their culture. Instead, they preferred to decorate their bodies with tattoos and elaborate hand-crafted jewelry.