Prehistoric Cultures
32a - analyze the evolution of Native American cultures prior to European contact: Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian
Paleo |
Archaic |
Paleo means ancient. The Paleo Period lasted from 10,000 to 8,000 B.C.E. the animals that the Paleo hunted were giant bison, mastodons, giant sloths, all of whom are extinct. They also ate some small game, berries, wild fruits, and vegetables.They never stayed in one place for too long. They used animal hides, bark, and brush for most of their shelter. Few Indians lived to be more than 30 or 40 years old. Most of the children died before they could even celebrate their 1st birthday. Scientists also think that they developed the atlatl. They were Georgia's first inhabitants.
WoodlandThe Woodland Period started near 1000 B.C. all the way till A.D. 900.
The Early Woodland Sub period was from 1000 B.C. - 300 B.C. The largest villages contained no more than 50 villagers. The Woodland Indians ate ate nuts and wild foods as a main part of their diet. The Middle Woodland Sub Period was from 300 B.C. - A.D. 600. Settlements grew and became more permanent. Houses were typically circular, just like in the first Woodland Sub Period. The Middle Sub Woodland Period had more rituals and ceremonialism. Scientists have found what they call the Hopewellian Interaction Sphere. Their decoration became more complex, and their vessels had a wider range of forms. The Late Woodland Sub Period was from A.D 600-900. however, there was no more mound construction. Corn agriculture became important in many parts of the Southeast. Scientists believe that the bow and arrow may have been adapted during this period. There was also a lot of increase in warfare, and the bow and arrow made the warfare more and more dangerous. These traits continued with the Mississippian Period, where they were also elaborated on. |
Approximately 10,000 - 8,000 years ago, the Early Archaic period in the U.S. began. Bison, Horses, Mastadons, Mammoths, and Camels were now extinct. The Archaic people gathered and hunted in packs of 20-50 people. They hunted large game animals, like deer, and they gathered fruits, nuts and berries. They lived in small homes.
Approximately 8,000 - 5,000 years ago, the Middle Archaic Period began. In this period, there were a lot of changing climatic conditions. This made the region significantly warmer and drier, than in the present day. The Archaic people in this period reduced their territorial movement. There are a lot of Middle Archaic sites in the Piedmont. Approximately 5,000 - 3,000 years ago, was the Late Archaic Period. People began trading exotic goods over long distances, and native societies grew. In this time period, Archaic settlement were often near rivers. They made brand new social mechanisms to establish good relationships with neighboring groups. They also led to the evolution of cooking technology. A lot of the cultural traits that the Southeastern Indians had their origin sometime in the Archaic Period. MississippianThe Mississippian Period was from A.D. 1000 to 1600. These people preferred near rich bottom lands by rivers, long, moist growing seasons, and the hunting of good deer and turkeys. They also relied heavily on agriculture, mostly corn. There was a new concept developing called a chiefdom. This was a political organization including many villages. This period ended in 1540 in Georgia, when Hernando de Soto brought steel weapons, and deadly European diseases. However, from the survivors, the Creek and Cherokee Indian societies would flourish.
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