Mississippian period (archaeology)

Quick Facts: Who was Mississippian period (archaeology)?

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Mississippian period (archaeology)

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Archaeological cultural era (c. 1000–1600 CE) in the Southern US, marked by maize agriculture.

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Origins & Early Life

The Mississippian period is an archaeological cultural era in the history of the Southern United States and adjacent areas of the Eastern Woodlands spanning the end of the 10th century to the 16th century. It was preceded by the Late Woodland period and succeeded by the colonial-era Mississippian shatter zone. The Mississippians were characterized by theocratic governance, population centers, and the predominance of maize agriculture. This stood in contrast to the peoples of the preceding Woodland period, who primarily used Eastern Agricultural Complex crops, and whose mound-building activities were more limited to burial mounds. The Mississippian period is itself subdivided into the Early, Middle and Late Mississippian periods.

Career & Major Achievements

Although there were substantial changes in society and political structures, the break with the preceding Woodland period was incomplete. Despite the emphasis on maize, the old Eastern Agricultural Complex crops remained in use by Mississippians. The flat-topped platform mound, once thought to be a uniquely Mississippian trait, has been found to have its origins as far back as the Archaic period, although summit structures still appear to be a uniquely Mississippian occurrence. Most Mississippians retained the Hopewell clan system, where each clan functioned like a ritual society rather than solely kin groups, and travelers were able to obtain hospitality from a fellow clan member thousands of miles from their original home. Founded in 1050, the city of Cahokia likely had a population of at least 22,400 at its peak around 1124.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Archaeologists believe it to be a planned social and religious project, with towering mounds built by a mix of Caddoan, Natchezan, Muskogean, and Dhegiha Siouan peoples. Between 1050 and 1150, the Cahokians briefly established a series of missionary outposts as far as 500 miles north of Cahokia. Despite its failure and rejection by the local woodland population in the north, other Cahokian projects seem to have greater success, like in Angel Mounds, which was used as a pilgrimage site for Cahokians. The end of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (around 900 to the early 1100s), and the start of a decades long drought (1150–1200) in Illinois brought political instability to the region. These developments resulted in an exodus of some 50% of Cahokians at the time to the Nashville area (likely ancestral to the Koasati people), that region peaking in population around 1275, as well as the exodus of several thousand more to other regions like Angel on the Ohio and Etowah in the Appalachians, kickstarting the Middle Mississippian period.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1050: 1050 Milestone — Founded in 1050, the city of Cahokia likely had a population of at least 22,400 at its peak around 1124.
2. 1150: 1150 Milestone — The end of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (around 900 to the early 1100s), and the start of a decades long drought (1150–1200) in Illinois brought political instability to the region.
3. 1275: 1275 Milestone — These developments resulted in an exodus of some 50% of Cahokians at the time to the Nashville area (likely ancestral to the Koasati people), that region peaking in population around 1275, as well as the exodus of several thousand more to other regions like Angel on the Ohio and Etowah in the Appalachians, kickstarting the Middle Mississippian period.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Mississippian period (archaeology)

True or False: “The flat-topped platform mound was exclusively a unique trait of the Mississippian culture.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While summit structures are uniquely Mississippian, evidence suggests that the origins of the flat-topped platform mound date back as far as the Archaic period.

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