The Calusa people survived rising water, fought off legendary Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León, and built a powerful kingdom in Southwest Florida that thrived for centuries.
A new WGCU digital series — Decoding Ancient Florida — explores the Calusa legacy, archaeological discoveries and incredible stories of resilience hidden across the local landscape. Unlike most ancient societies, the Calusa did not rely on agriculture. Instead, they mastered fisheries and ruled South Florida from their capital at Mound Key in Estero Bay.
The first short documentary — Decoding Ancient Florida: Mound House — premieres Aug. 25 on wgcuplus.org.
The episode investigates the Calusa archaeology and artifacts at the Mound House on Fort Myers Beach. Built atop a Calusa shell mound, it is the oldest structure on the beach — and experts credit Calusa engineering for protecting the home from Hurricane Ian’s widespread destruction in 2022.
Future documentaries will explore other vital Calusa archaeological sites, including Mound Key, the Randell Research Center on Pineland, and artifact collections at the Florida Museum of Natural History, and will also air on WGCU PBS.
This series is made possible by a grant from the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau and support from Howard K. and Nancy B. Cohen.
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