The Timucua were a Native American nation that lived in northeastern and central Florida. Nocoroco, on Tomoka Point, was the first Timucuan village encountered by Spanish explorers as they traveled south from St. Augustine. Timucuan villages were ruled by a chief, and social position in a clan was passed through the mother’s brother. Daily life included gathering shellfish, fishing, and growing crops such as corn and squash, with meals cooked communally in the village. Clans had a religious leader who conducted ceremonies for the important activities of the village. At the time of European contact, the population was believed to be tens of thousands, but by 1698 exposure to European diseases had devastated the Timucua to less than 1000. The last known Timucuan died in 1767.