Description
Mocoso (or Mococo) was the name of a 16th-century chiefdom located on the east side of Tampa Bay, Florida near the mouth of the Alafia River, of its chief town and of its chief. Mocoso was also the name of a 17th-century village in the province of Acuera, a branch of the Timucua. The Mocoso of Tampa Bay lived in the area of the Safety Harbor culture. The Mocoso people were among the first inhabitants of Florida encountered by both the Narváez expedition in 1528 and the de Soto expedition in 1539. The Mococo no longer exist as a tribe. Most of them are believed to have merged into the Timucua tribe, which was crushed by European disease and warfare. Most of the Timucuan survivors were ultimately shipped to Cuba by the Spanish, where their fate remained unknown.
Language
The people are believed to have been speakers of the Timucua language.
Culture
The Mocoso painted their bodies red and wore plumes in their hair. Their homes were palm-thatched huts and their discarded shells became mounds. However, their life in a sub-tropical environment dictated that they make subtle changes. One such adaptation was keeping smudge fires beneath their sleeping benches to control insects. They grew much of their own food and stayed in relatively the same places from year to year. Important crops to Timucua farmers were pumpkins, cucumbers, peas, gourds, maize, and beans, as well as other fruits and starches. They gathered hickory nuts, berries, and acorns, which grew plentifully on vines and trees.