Native American Cultures of Georgia BY: SARIKA SONI

PALEO Georgia's first Native American tradition was called the Paleo - Indian. They existed from 11,000 to 8,000 BC. The Paleo Indians were Nomads that were constantly on the move because they were always hunting for large animals. The main tool they used for hunting was called the Clovis point, which was attached to a spear for obtaining large animals. Paleo Indians most likely traveled by foot or water in bands of 25 to 30 people. The late Paleo Indians also developed the Atlatl. The Atlatl was an ancient spear throwing device used to hunt large game with ease.

ARCHAIC The Archaic Period ran from 8000 – 1000 BCE. This period was towards the end of the Ice Age. During this time, many animals went extinct. The Archaic people traveled in clans. There was 3 parts of the Archaic period: Early Archaic, Middle Archaic, and Late Archaic. The early Archaic period contained mostly nomadic behavior of the Indians. The middle Archaic was when it became semi- nomadic, and they began to gather as well as hunt. The late Archaic was when the societies began to grow. The Archaic people also invented pottery.

WOODLAND The Woodland period was from 1000 BCE to 1000 AD. The Woodland people were very big on horticulture, which was growing certain crops for food. Their 3 main crops were corn, squash, and beans. They lived in semi- permanent shelters, and some even built villages. They were the first to invent the Bow and Arrow weapon. They also improved pottery by using coiling methods.

MISSISSPPIAN The Mississippian period was from 900 to 1600 AD. They were the last Native American group. They lasted up until the European Explorers arrived. They were farmers living in the South East. The Mississippians lived in villages called chiefdoms where the chiefs made most of the decisions. They also did lots of trading among themselves and to others from different parts of the U.S. They lived in villages with strong structured homes. To protect their villages they had moats (large holes filled with water) and palisades (wooden sticks) put around it. No one really knows what happened to the Mississippians. They started disappearing once Europeans arrived. The possibilities were diseases, warfare, or incitement by other tribes or Europeans.