Woodland period in southeastern North America: Encyclopedia II - Woodland period in southeastern North America - Middle Woodland Period 300 BCE to 500 CE

Woodland period in southeastern North America - Middle Woodland Period 300 BCE to 500 CE

As the Woodland period progressed, local and interregional trade of exotic materials greatly increased to the point where a trade network covered most of the Eastern United States. Throughout the Southeast and north of the Ohio River, burial mounds of important persons were very elaborate and contained a variety of mortuary gifts, many of which were not local to the area. Because of the similarity of earthworks and burial goods, researchers assumed a common culture called the Hopewell culture existed throughout the entire region (also referred to as a Hopewellian Interaction Sphere).

However, this could also be viewed as the result of reciprocal trade and/or obligations between local clans that controlled specific territories. Access to food or resources outside a clan's territory would be made possible through formal agreements with neighbors. Clan heads would then be buried along with goods received from their trading partners to symbolize the relationships they had established. Under this scenario, permanent settlements would be likely to develop, leading to increased agricultural production and a population increase.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Middle Woodland Period 300 BCE to 500 CE", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki