The Evolution of Calusa : A Nonagricultural Chiefdom of the Southwest Florida Coast

The aims of this study are twofold: compile, for the first time, all the archaeological, environmental, and geological data pertinent to the evolution of the aboriginal inhabitants of southwest Florida; and, using this basis, develop a specific, integrated, and dynamic model of cultural adaptation that will serve as a stimulus for hypotheses that go beyond simple culture-historical concerns for future archaeological research in this region. Theoretical And Methodological Considerations In A Study Of Coastal Adaptation -- The History Of Archaeological Research In Southwest Florida -- The Prehistory Of Southwest Florida -- The Environment And Ecology Of Southwest Florida -- The History Of Environmental Change In South Florida -- A Dynamic Model Of The Prehistoric Coastal Adaptation In Southwest Florida -- The Subsistence And Settlement Characteristics Of The Calusa Adaptation -- The Sociopolitical Evolution Of The Calusa Chiefdom -- Radiocarbon Determinations For The Middle And Late Holocene Sea-level Position. Randolph J. Widmer. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. [282]-310. Widner's model and its implications for anthropological theory cover the importance of the studies of prehistoric native American cultures which in turn lead to our understanding of human cultures.