I attended Dr. Roger Block’s presentation, “The Tocobaga of Tampa Bay,” at Sacred Lands on November 29, 2022. Drawing from my notes, I’ll be sharing a series of posts that cover key parts of his talk. Today’s focus: Health Issues of the Tocobaga. Since this post is based on my notes and memory, I apologize if I missed something or got a detail wrong.
The Tocobaga were the first humans to settle in our area long before the arrival of Europeans. Their capital was at Safety Harbor and they had villages here in what we now call the Jungle neighborhood, with village centers located at Jungle Prada and the Bayshore Homes site.
Dr. Block’s presentation showed what it was like for the Tocobaga - a resourceful people who dealt with some serious health issues.
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Everyday Life and Diet
The Tocobaga were primarily a fishing and hunting society. Their diet was diverse, consisting of:
Shellfish: Oysters, clams, mussels, conch, scallops, crabs, and shrimp.
Fish: Mullet, catfish, drum, flounder, shark, and various other species from the bay, gulf, estuaries, and lakes.
Game: Manatee, deer, birds, bear, rabbit, armadillo, snakes, turtles, alligator, possum, and other forest animals.
Plants: Limited corn cultivation, coontie flour from pounded zamia plant roots, hackberries, sea grape, plum, hickory nuts, and acorns.
Despite this varied diet, archaeological findings from village "waste dumps" (middens) suggest that their nutrition might not have been sufficient to prevent certain health issues.
Health Challenges
Dr. Block highlighted several health problems faced by the Tocobaga:
Endemic Syphilis: Skeletal lesions and porous bones found in remains indicate widespread infection. This form of syphilis was likely spread through non-sexual means, such as shared utensils and close living conditions.
Osteoarthritis: Evidence of degenerative joint disease was common, even among children, suggesting a physically demanding lifestyle from a young age.
Iron Deficiency: About 30% of individuals showed signs of iron deficiency anemia, a condition linked to parasites likely picked up from eating undercooked fish and shellfish, a risk that came with their seafood-heavy diet.
High Mortality Rates: Many individuals died before the age of 35, with a significant number not reaching adolescence. This early mortality was comparable to other parts of the world at the time, largely due to the lack of modern medicine.
Impact of European Contact
The arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s introduced new diseases to which the Tocobaga had no immunity, including: measles, smallpox, leprosy, scarlet fever, typhus and venereal syphilis.
These diseases, combined with the existing health challenges, led to a dramatic decline in the Tocobaga population. Within a few generations, they had all but vanished, leaving behind only archaeological remnants and historical accounts.
Today, memory of the Tocobaga lives on through the mounds and artifacts found in areas like Jungle Prada and Philippe Park in Safety Harbor. These sites remind us of the rich history that once flourished along Tampa Bay.
