The MississippiansThe

“Mound Builders”

Location

The Basics• Mississippian culture began around 700/800 A.D.

– lasted until 1500/1600 A.D.• They traveled throughout the Mississippi Basin,

forming an elaborate network of trade through water

• Distinguishing characteristics:– Flat-topped earth mounds which temples were built upon

– Ceramics with deeply carved lines– Effigies – ceramics, pipes, figurines

Government

• Most Mississippians lived in a type of society called a chiefdom.

• Chiefdoms are societies in which people are ranked according to the family they belong to. Some families have high status than others.

• In chiefdoms, the ruler usually comes from a high-status family and has more privileges than ordinary people.

• Chiefs can be compared to kings, but they are not as powerful.

• Chiefs lived on platform mounds, which were elevated, and separate from ordinary houses.

This is what a Mississippian Chief might have looked like.

A Chief’s home on top of the mounds.

Social Structure

• Nobility dominated traffic in imported goods:– copper, mica, shells• Nobility also had artistic excellence: pottery,

stonework, and embossed copper• Nobility were the only ones to be put in mounds• Mississippian social pyramid:– Chief at top followed by: related elites, then

skilled Artisans, “commoners” (farmers)

Religion

• The Mississippians built religious temples atop some of the burial mounds.

• Although it’s difficult to tell exactly what type of religion the Mississippians had, since they left behind no written language, a great deal can be learned about their religion from the artwork that they left behind.

• Because they relied on the earth for their food, their religion seems to be tied closely to nature.

• Statues of kneeling figures indicate that they worshipped at the mounds.

Mississippian Priest with a flint mace and a severed head. This painting was based off of a copper plate found in one of the mounds.

Mounds

What Were Mounds Built For?• Burial grounds• Location of temples• Location for homes

How were they built?• Workers would carry heavy baskets of dirt, one at a

time, to their building sites.• Each mound could take months or even years to build.• Mounds range from 20’ to 300’ wide.

Monks Mound

Emerald Mound

Modern day gazebo on an ancient mound….really???

Burials

• High status burials– Accompanied by sacrifices (human)– Many elaborate grave goods- Copper celts, breastplates- Stone discs-Paints- Exotic resources and finished artifacts-pottery

• Lower status burials: in cemeteries near mounds or in charnel houses, few grave goods

A replica of an excavated body from a mound

Falcon made of copper

Serpent made of micaOwl, toad and raccoon pipes Copper breastplate

Agriculture• Because the Mississippians lived along the

Mississippi River Valley, they took advantage of the excellent, high fertility of the natural banks. An added benefit was the availability of fish from the rivers.

• They mostly grew maize (corn), squash, gourds, and beans. Their main meat was turkey.

What Kincaid Mounds might have looked like at the time of the Mississippians

Technology

• They even invented tools, such as digging sticks and hoes to till the soil

• Most tools being used before were archaic and used at the time of the cavemen

Some hoe fragments found in mounds

Contributions

• The main contribution of the Mississippians culture were their great artistic creations.

• Archaeologists have discovered countless hand-made creations that the Mississippians left behind, ranging from arrowheads, clay pots, sculptures, and jewelry, all of which were hand painted.

• Don’t forget the mounds themselves, many of which are still standing today. Each year thousands of tourists visit the burial mounds to marvel at these ancient creations.

Effigies / Pottery

Human Effigies Bever, Cat and Dog Effigies

Explorer - DeSoto

• Hernando DeSoto was a Spanish explorer looking for the fountain of youth in the south

• While looking, he visited many mound building villages, often staying for a month or two

• Some encounters were violent, some were peaceful• He was the first person to document the life of the

Mississippians• This was the first introduction of European ways,

that eventually lead to their destruction

The Falcon Dancer

Earspool, beads and shells

Conch shell cup

Mississippian Falcon Dancer shown on a tablet

Gorgets• Gorgets are pendants that are worn on the

chest, hung from a string or a necklace.• Ancient Native Americans made gorgets of

rare materials such as copper or marine shell, which had to be obtained through trade.

• A number of similar gorgets have been found throughout the Mississippi River Valley and in the southeastern part of the United States.