However, they would leave as needed to hunt or fish in the surrounding areas. However, this pottery was not widespread, and most pottery was made with clay, tempered with crushed rock or limestone. Important advances of the later Archaic period include earthworks at sites such as Poverty Point and Watson Brake (both in Louisiana), and the first pottery in the Americas, a fiber-tempered ware named after Stallings Island South Carolina were an important invention. [7] However, it has become evident that, in some areas of North America, prehistoric cultural groups with a clearly Archaic cultural assemblage were making pottery without any evidence of the cultivation of domesticated crops. The Eastern Woodlands cultural region covers what is now eastern Canada south of the Subarctic region, the Eastern United States, along to the Gulf of Mexico.[2]. In North America, recognition of the ecological benefits of prescribed burning was slow in coming and varied geographically. One style was the Trempealeau phase which could have been seen by the Hopewell in Indiana. As the Hopewell culture declined, mortuary practices became more variable and simplified. The Middle Woodland period, lasting from about 200 BC to 600 AD, is marked by changes in settlement and subsistence patterns as populations increased and people began to spread into other areas to take advantage of diverse food resources. Furthermore, despite the widespread adoption of the bow and arrow during this time, the peoples of a few areas appear never to have made the change. We do not know what these people might have called themselves. The Paleoindian Period refers to a time approximately 12,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age when humans first … Recently evidence has accumulated a greater reliance on woodland peoples on cultivation in this period, at least in some localities, than has historically been recognized. (1992). Coastal peoples practiced seasonal mobility, moving to the coast during the summer to take advantage of numerous marine resources such as sea mammals and shellfish, then moved to interior locations during the winter where access to deer, bear, and anadromous fish such as salmon could see them through the winter. The most conclusive evidence suggests that native copper was utilized to produce a wide variety of tools beginning in the Middle Archaic period circa 4,000 BC. Early Woodland Period (1000–1 BCE) The archaeological record suggests that humans in the Eastern Woodlands of North America were collecting plants from the wild by 6,000 BCE and gradually modifying them by selective collection and cultivation. The term “Woodland Period” was introduced in the 1930s as a generic term for prehistoric sites falling between the Archaic hunter-gatherers and the agriculturalist Mississippian cultures. Although pottery, horticulture, and earthen mounds were familiar to some people who lived during the Archaic period, after about 1000 BC such innovations became widespread across Eastern North America. ", PNAS, vol. Shellfish formed an important part of the diet, attested to by numerous shell middens along the coast and interior rivers. Pots were coiled and paddled entirely by hand without the use of fast rotation such as a pottery wheel. Until quite recently, the onset of the Woodland period was assumed to have been the time of the initial appearance of pottery vessels, the beginnings of mound ceremonialism, the emergence of sedentary village life with well-defined structures and settlements, and intensive cultivation of crops. [13] The most archaeologically certifiable sites of burial during this time were in Illinois and Ohio. In the classification of archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 BCE to European contact in the eastern part of North America, with some archaeologists distinguishing the Mississippian period, from 1000 CE to European contact as a separate period. By this point, the people were tending gardens and gathering shellfish from the local rivers, which enabled them to live in one place for long periods of time without having to hunt for food as often. Other items included projectile points, natural pigments like ocher, or a few special trade items. (Last Privacy Policy Update July 2020), Byways & Historic Trails – Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Alva Gould – Discoverer of the Famous Gould and Curry Mine, Honest Miner To a Poker-Playing Politician, Old Tom – A Typical Mining Camp Character, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Colorado. [8] This research indicated that a fiber-tempered horizon of ceramics greatly predates 1000 BCE, first appearing about 2500 BCE in parts of Florida with the Orange culture and in Georgia with the Stallings culture. The Hopewell culture flourished in Ohio and other parts of eastern North America during the Middle Woodland Period, possibly as early as 100 B.C. "Hopewell, Middle Woodland, and the Laurel Culture: A Problem in Archaeological Classification". Another result of people not moving around as much was that the various bands did not see each other and share ideas as often, so styles of making pottery and tools became very distinct from region to region. People like the Pueblo people settled down more in permanent villages and towns. The Center for American Archeology specializes in Middle Woodland culture. This archaeological designation is often mistakenly conflated with the eco-cultural delineation of the continent’s eastern culture areas: the term Eastern Woodland cultures refers to the early … The Early Woodland lasted from about 3000 BC to 200 BC. The pottery was sometimes traded with other groups. And these changes set the stage for the developments that would take place in the Mississippian period. Middle Woodland people still hunted, fished, and gathered wild foods, but they also spent increasing amounts of time tending their plots of maize, squash, and other plants. Mason, Ronald J. Mound construction dates back to at least 3000 BC. The Woodland period, lasting from about 3,000 BC to 1000 AD, is an archaeological classification of Native American cultures of North America prior to European contact. Period of North American pre-Columbian cultures, Middle Woodland period (200 BCE – 500 CE). University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The oldest mound associated with the Woodland period was the mortuary mound and pond complex at the Fort Center site in Glade County, Florida. Many aspects of daily life during this time were not much different from those of the preceding Archaic Period. The decline in ceremonialism may indicate the development of a new form of religion that focused on a reverence for the ancestors of certain lineages. The name we use comes from Mordecai Hopewell, a Chillicothe landowner on whose property mounds were excavated in the 1800s. The Late Woodland period began about AD 500 and lasted about 500 years, until AD 1000. Oxford University Press. We use cookies. Mounds of North America Mound Builder is a general term referring to the Native North American peoples who constructed various styles of earthen mounds for burial, residential, and ceremonial purposes. This type included a round body, and lines of decoration with cross-etching on rim. The Havana style found in Illinois had a decorated neck. In Paul E. Minnis, People and Plants in Ancient Eastern North America, Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, Bruce D. Smith and Richard A. Yarnell (2009). This is especially true for the middle woodland period and perhaps beyond. A variant of the Woodland tradition was found on the Great Plains. Such similarities could also be the result of reciprocal trade, obligations, or both between local clans that controlled specific territories. Pots were usually made in a conoidal or conical jar with rounded shoulders, slightly constricted necks, and flaring rims. A remarkable development of the Early Woodland was the widespread construction of earthen mounds. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Houses, tools, clothing, and foods were similar. The Adena culture built conical mounds in which single- or multiple-event burials, often cremated, were interred along with rich grave goods including copper bracelets, beads, and gorgets, art objects made from mica, novaculite, hematite, banded slate, and other kinds of stone, shell beads and cups, and leaf-shaped "cache blades". United States Department of Agriculture The Far Northeast, the Sub-Arctic, and the Northwest/Plains regions widely adopted pottery somewhat later, about 200 BCE. in … The stone tools of this period were similar to those made during the Archaic. People continued to live in base camps, but their increased numbers led to competition for resources and an increase in warfare. As a result, the long-distance exchange networks that developed during the Late Archaic broke down. People began making stone projectile points that were shorter, thinner, and more triangular so they could be attached to arrows. Due to the similarity of earthworks and burial goods, researchers assume a common body of religious practice and cultural interaction existed throughout the entire region (referred to as the "Hopewellian Interaction Sphere"). (1955). In some areas, like South Carolina and coastal Georgia, Deptford culture pottery manufacture ceased after c. 700 CE. People continued to live in base camps, but their increased numbers led to competition for resources and an increase in warfare. Woodland collection in the Robbins Museum‎ (3 C) Media in category "Woodland period in North America" The following 4 files are in this category, out of 4 total. In the classification of archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 BCE to European contact in the eastern part of North America, with some archaeologists distinguishing the Mississippian period, from 1000 CE to European contact as a separate period. The increasing use of horticulture and the development of the Eastern Agricultural Complex, consisting of weedy seed plants as well as gourd cultivation, also meant that groups became less mobile over time and, in some times and places, people lived in permanently occupied villages and cities. National Park Service The Late Woodland period began about AD 500 and lasted about 500 years, until AD 1000. The Woodland period is divided into Early (3,000 to 2,200 years ago), Middle (2,200 to 1,800 years ago) and Late (1,800 to 1,250 years ago) sub-periods. Pottery, agriculture, and permanent settlements have often been thought of the three defining characteristics of the Woodland period. Early Woodland Period 1,000 BCE to 1 CE This period was marked by the creation of extensive mound-building, burial complexes, the trade goods across a large area of North America. These included Archaic, and Woodland period, and Mississippian period … Most of these are evident in the Southeastern Woodlands by 1000 BCE. Cambridge University Press. Early Woodland Period – 3000 BC to 200 BC. Alternatively, the efficiency of bows and arrows in hunting may have decimated the large game animals, forcing the tribes to break apart into smaller clans to better use local resources, thus limiting the trade potential of each group. The Woodland period is marked by the manufacture of ceramic vessels, construction of mounds, the rise and fall of a vast exchange network, unequal distribution of exotic raw materials and finished goods, and horticultural activity. Woodland period. and cooking containers. However, it is now clear, that the beginnings of these developments lie deeper in the past by a thousand years or more. In the classification of archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 BC to European contact in the eastern part of North America, with some archaeologists distinguishing the Mississippian period, from 1000 AD to European contact as a separate period. Neusius, Sarah W. and G. Timothy Gross (2014). Additionally, the mound centers expanded their functions from places of burial to places where civic and ceremonial functions occurred. "Recent Discoveries Suggesting an Early Woodland Burial Cult in the Northeast". Oshkosh, WI, List of archaeological periods (Mesoamerica), "The Woodland Period (ca. They did so, however, by cultivating starchy seeds rather than by gathering more acorns." The most remarkable aspect of Middle Woodland culture is the development of the Hopewell Culture.which was characterized by large, geometric earthworks and conical mounds that contained elaborate tombs with many exotic grave offerings including jewelry and art pieces made of copper, mica, obsidian, and ocean shells, as well as long, stemless, stone projectile points. Under this scenario, permanent settlements would be likely to develop, leading to increased agricultural production and a population increase. One of the most enduring classifications of archaeological periods and cultures was established in Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips' 1958 book Method and Theory in American Archaeology. Middle Woodland Period – 200 BC to 500 AD. Our cookies are delicious. [11] Smith and Yarnell refer to an "indigenous crop complex" as early as 3800 B.P. Many were decorated with stamped, punctuated, pinched, or brushed designs, and some were painted. The bow and arrow made hunting less of a communal activity than it had been in the past, and individual families became more self-sufficient. The large area of interaction is indicated by the presence of Adena-style mounds, the presence of exotic goods from other parts of the interaction spheres, and the participation in the "Early Woodland Burial Complex" defined by William Ritchie [5], Pottery was widely manufactured and sometimes traded, particularly in the Eastern Interior region. Each contribution explores neighboring areas to llustrate the complexity of North … As the Woodland period progressed, local and inter-regional trade of exotic materials greatly increased to the point where a trade network covered most of the Eastern Woodlands. In the classification of Archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 BC to European contact in the eastern part of North America, with some archaeologists distinguishing the Mississippian period, from AD 1000 to European contact as a separate period. C. Margaret Scarry states "in the Woodland periods, people diversified their use of plant foods ... [they] increased their consumption of starchy foods. Late Woodland Period – 500 to 1000 AD. Woodland Periods in North America. One of the major tools unique to this era was Snyders Points. Like the Archaic Period, each Woodland sub-period represents a slightly different way of life. Historic Occupation I. The most cited technological distinction of this period was the widespread use of pottery (although pottery manufacture had arisen during the Archaic period in some places), and the diversification of pottery forms, decorations, and manufacturing practices. Because they now grew food that could be stored, people developed large, rounded jars used for storage. The Woodland Period began about 3,000 years ago. The vast m… Access to food or resources outside a clan's territory would be made possible through formal agreements with neighbors. "Initial formation of an indigenous crop complex "Seeking Our Past: An Introduction to North American Archaeology". During this time, people widely adopted horticulture, pottery-making, the bow and arrow, and complex ceremonies surrounding death and burial. Mississippian. The elaborate tombs are especially important because they indicate that the person buried there had a higher and/or special status. Examples include the Armstrong culture, Copena culture, Crab Orchard culture, Fourche Maline culture, the Goodall Focus, the Havana Hopewell culture, the Kansas City Hopewell, the Marksville culture, and the Swift Creek culture. Though this practice seems to have originated in the Archaic Period in what is now, Louisiana, by about 1000 BC the tradition was adopted by people all over eastern North America. In this unique volume, archaeologists examine the changing economic structure of trade in North America over a period of 6,000 years. The late Woodland period was a time of apparent population dispersal, although populations do not appear to have decreased. in eastern North America at 3800 B.P. Woodland Period The Woodland period is a label used by archaeologists to designate pre-Columbian Native American occupations dating between roughly 600 BC and AD 1000 … Woodland trade networks distributed exotic raw materials and finished ceremonial artifacts all across eastern North America. The Early Woodland period continued many trends begun during the Late and Terminal Archaic periods, including extensive mound-building, regional distinctive burial complexes, the trade of exotic goods across a large area of North America as part of interaction spheres, the reliance on both wild and domesticated plant foods, and a mobile subsistence strategy in which small groups took advantage of seasonally available resources such as nuts, fish, shellfish, and wild plants. In the classification of archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 BCE to European contact in the eastern part of North America, with some archaeologists distinguishing the Mississippian period, from 1000 CE to European contact as a separate period. One of the early periods was the Eastern Woodland period (800-200 BCE) which led to the mound emergence and when the Middle Woodland period (c. 200 BCE- AD 400) started, the mounds became more significant for ritual and spiritual meaning … Compiled by Kathy Weiser-Alexander, March 2020. The term "Woodland Period" was … Seasonal foraging also characterized the strategies of many interior populations, with groups moving strategically among dense resource areas. There is evidence that many small groups occasionally gathered together to build mounds and maintain long-range ties. During the Middle Woodland period, these networks were part of an interregional "ceremonial cult" represented by the Hopewell culture, which originated in the Ohio River valley around 200 B.C. – A.D. 1000)", List of archaeological periods (North America), Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska, Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte Memorial Hospital, Pawnee Mission and Burnt Village Archeological Site, Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve, University of Tennessee Agriculture Farm Mound, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Woodland_period&oldid=998230384, 10th-century disestablishments in North America, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 January 2021, at 11:49. During Hernando de Soto's travels through the Southeastern Woodlands around 1543, the groups at the mouth of the Mississippi river still preferentially used the spear. 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