The Timucuans looked to the water for sustenance, settling along rivers or near the coast. (Their prehistoric ancestors are called “People of the Shell Mounds.”) Besides collecting shellfish and fishing, they hunted and gathered in the forests and swamps and planted maize, squash, and beans. In their often pallisaded villages, they lived in circular dwellings with conical palm-thatched roofs and walls of woven vines caulked with clay. Ceremonial squares in the larger villages were the scenes of festivals, dances, and religious ceremonies.