Vocabulary definitions can be found from pages 74 – 96. Due on Friday!

  The Woodland culture was developed around 1000 B.C.E and lasted until about C.E  Several hundred families began to live together and form tribes.  These tribes lived in villages and built huts as houses. Woodland Indians

  Small trees and bark were used to create dome shaped dwellings.  A weaving pattern along with cane mats were used to make the hut more weather resistant.  The roofs were covered with grass and a small opening was left to allow the smoke from cooking fires to ventilate.  Fiber mats were used on the ground for sleeping and sitting. Woodland Indians Dwellings

  Hunting was easier for Woodlands due to the invention of the bow and arrow.  Arrow points were made out of several materials such as: stone, shark teeth, and deer antlers.  The Woodlands main food sources came from fishing, hunting, and gathering (nuts and berries).  Also, the farming was becoming more developed and the Woodlands were growing crops such as: squash, greens, and sunflowers. Woodland Indians Hunting

  Continuing with the use of pottery, the Woodlands learned to make their clay pots last longer.  The process was as follows. First, mix clay found along the river banks with sand. Next, roll this mixture into strips and stack the strips on top of each other. Then, use rocks and water to smooth the clay. Finally, let the clay harden in the sun and bake in a hot fire.  Through this process Woodlands could use their pottery for cooking and just about anything. Woodland Indians Pottery

  The Woodlands introduced elaborate religious ceremonies.  They would build cone shaped burial mounds for the dead and adorn the bodies with jewelry and copper or bone hair combs.  During the burial process, the family would put items like pottery, tools, tobacco pipes, and weapons in the grave with the body.  These artifacts have led archaeologists to believe the Woodlands believed in some type of life after death. Woodland Indians Religious Practices

  The Mississippian culture is believed to have started around A.D  They got their name because the first things learned about them were found around the Mississippi River.  Because of archaeological digs we have learned much about how the Mississippians lived. Mississippian Indians

  The Mississippians grew most of their own food.  Maize (corn), beans, pumpkins, and squash were planted on hills.  They also grew tobacco to use during ceremonies.  Mississippians planted their crops in different fields each year to ensure the soil would stay fertile.  The farming grounds were “tilled” with stone/bone hoes and digging sticks. Mississippian Food Sources

  As the villages grew, several thousand families could be found in a single settlement.  Protection structures have been found in Mississippian villages.  Structures such as moats, palisades, and guard towers indicate that the Mississippians had to defend themselves from enemy tribes.  Also, religious centers were built along with homes for the tribes priest-chief. Mississippian Dwellings

  Something mysterious occurred in C.E  The Mississippian people left their villages leaving nothing behind to indicate where they went.  Archaeologists have considered the following causes: -Disease -Tribal enemies -Migration  Since the Mississippians lived in the prehistoric period (before written history) we may never learn what happened. What happened to the Mississippians?