Mississippian Civilizations
Beginning
When discussing the history and civilization of the pre-Columbian Americas, the rich empires and civilizations of the Central and South American regions often come to mind. Among these, the great empires of the city-states of the Inca, Aztec or Maya civilizations are discussed in particular, but there is no detailed writing about the civilizations of North America. How many civilizations have been lost in the womb of time. Today's writing is about such a civilization in history.
About 1,200 years ago, a civilization known as the Mississippian civilization arose in the land of the present United States. It is called the 'Mississippian Civilization' as it was originally developed in the Mississippi River Valley of the United States. And archaeologists call the members of this civilization 'Mississippians', because their way of life is believed to have originated and developed throughout the Mississippi River Valley.
According to archaeological research, this civilization lasted from about 800 to 1540 AD. It is believed that a group of immigrants arrived in Middle Georgia around 800 AD. They made the existing wild environment habitable and built various settlements. Initially these settlements settled around the Mississippi River Valley, but gradually they spread to other states. This also led to the establishment of large Mississippian urban centers in Missouri, Ohio, and Oklahoma.
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Image: The Mississippian civilization developed around the Mississippi River in the United States |
The Mississippians built a large ceremonial compound and city on the Macon Plateau near the Okmulgee River in present-day Macon, Georgia. They had no written history, but archaeologists have excavated the city and collected so many artifacts that give a clear idea of the life and culture of this society.
Formal buildings and courtyards are still visible today, a part of the civilization that developed on the Macon Plateau. Early Mississippians built a large village and a number of smaller settlements six miles away along the Okmulgee River, which had many natural resources.
Several cultural themes are recognized as characteristic of Mississippians. Although not all Mississippians adhered to these principles, some differed somewhat from their ancestors in adopting these characteristics. Notable among these were the construction of massive earthen pyramids or platform mounds, the tops of which were cut and flat. Such mounds were usually square, rectangular or sometimes circular. Usually, other structures (like dwelling houses, temples, tombs etc.) were built on these mounds.
Like cities or towns in other civilizations, Mississippian cities were built near rivers. Each town was formed with about ten acres of land. The houses were rectangular. The walls of the houses, about 12 feet long and about 10 feet wide, were made of wood. A trench was cut in the ground and poles were put into the Geth. The poles were then covered with hand-woven rattan mats. Then the rattan mat was covered with mud plaster. The roof of the house was made in the shape of English letter 'A'. The wooden structure was then reinforced with straw or grass thatch.
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| Image: This is what Mississippian towns looked like |
The earthen mounds serve as the most interesting evidence of Mississippian civilization. They were most visible in the various cities of this civilization, and their platforms were used for various purposes, including acting. There were several steps for easy ascent to the top of the mounds. The top of these pyramid structures were made flat. The flat-topped wooden buildings on the mounds were used as homesteads, temples, warehouses, etc. Most of the mounds in the Okmulgee complex were built in steps, which would have increased the size of the mound after several years of construction.
However, not all mounds were used as platforms. More than 100 tombs used for cremation have been found in different cities. A number of wooden tombs, copper and shell-decorated tombs testify to the high status of the deceased. But most of the graves there were simple, with no artwork or craftsmanship.
A large mound used as a monk's mound is also found here. The base of this mound is 1000 feet long, 800 feet wide and over 100 feet high. In fact the base of the monk mound is larger than the base of the largest pyramid in Egypt! But the surprising thing is that these huge mounds were made using buckets and pots.
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| Image: Mounds were the most interesting thing in Mississippian cities |
In addition to these Mississippian mounds, several mud lodges have been discovered from excavations. A bench with 47 molded seats and a bird-shaped platform with three additional seats were found on the floor of a 1,000-year-old lodge. It is believed that these lodges were used by important members of the society to discuss politics or various events or both.
The construction of so many mounds suggests that the Mississippians had a complex social structure. A strong leader was needed to plan and complete these mound building projects. The feature of the temple mound indicates a strong religious system in the society. Some archaeologists have speculated that Mississippian society was organized as 'chiefdoms', consisting of several cities. Each city had a leader, or chieftain, who served under a powerful priest-chief.
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| Image: Mississippians had a complex social structure |
It is also assumed that complex levels of social leadership developed here. At the center of control of collective political and religious power was a leader under whom there were several vice-leaders. In addition, there is evidence that this culture's trade communication system extended to the Rocky Mountains in the west, the Great Lakes in the north, the Gulf of Mexico in the south, and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. After the inception of this culture came hierarchies, where one large community had clear influence or control over several smaller communities. Whether their number of mounds was small or large was not the point.
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| Image: Mississippians River Side |
The use of ceremonial court decorations in the Southeast, which was also called part of the Southern religion, was an example of the religious beliefs of the Mississippians. These tools have been found at various sites of the Mississippian civilization from Wisconsin to the Gulf of Mexico coast, from Florida to Arkansas and Oklahoma. These rituals were limited to religious activities.
The largest city of the Mississippian culture was Cahokia, located near present-day southern Illinois or St. Louis Cahokia. It was home to between ten thousand and twenty thousand people, which was larger than many European cities of the time. Besides, another area called Nashville was also the main center with a large population. Thousands of Mississippian-era graves have been found in the city, and thousands more are estimated to exist in the surrounding area. There were once many temples and burial mounds in Nashville, especially along the Cumberland River.
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| Image: Cahokia, the city of the Mississippian civilization in the artist's imagination |
Mississippians hunted small animals such as raccoon, turkey, rabbit, beaver, squirrel, turtle, and deer to supplement their food needs. They did not waste any part of these animals - the skin was used to make clothes and the bones were used for jewelry and bracelets. Hunters used several techniques to find their prey, but successful hunting required the use of bows and arrows.
Although gathering prey for food was important, the Mississippians were primarily farmers. They cultivated during a certain period of the year, and spent the rest of the days in idleness. They cultivated using wood, bone and stone tools. Their agricultural system was dependent on maize cultivation. They also cultivated beans, pumpkins, sunflowers, tobacco and squash. These crops were a stable and balanced food source, feeding large populations.
They stored extra food in baskets and clay pots. The rest of the year was spent with that surplus food. A few thousand people lived in a somewhat larger city.
Mississippian artists were quite skilled in artwork. They used to draw various animal or human designs on shells and carved various objects of religious ceremonies on stones. Potters also used clay to make objects of various shapes and sizes, and sometimes decorated them with designs.
The art of the Mississippians can be seen in the things they use in their daily lives. Women use local clay to make pots and pans of various designs. Pottery suitable for daily work and ritual use was produced in various shapes. They preferred simple things, but some pottery shows skill and beauty in elegant and sometimes intricate craftsmanship. They often used the shells of various animals (in some cases marine) from rivers to further strengthen their pottery vessels.
Women also weave baskets and cloths of various designs. Mississippians used a variety of materials to adorn themselves, such as stone, wood, bone, shell, and other materials. Based on archeological evidence and historical accounts of Native Americans, it is known that people used shell necklaces, beads, tattoos, paint, bird feathers, and various ear ornaments to adorn themselves.
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Image: The Mississippians adorned themselves with ornaments |
Chunky was one of the most popular games of the Mississippians. One player would roll a disc-shaped stone on the ground and the others would aim at it and throw their spears. The player whose spear landed closest to where the disc stopped was deemed the winner. They also played a ball game very similar to the modern lacrosse game. Two separate teams used to play it on a large playing field. A small leather ball was thrown with a wooden bat. At each end of the field there were two tall poles. The ball was thrown there to try to score. The game was usually played between two rival cities, and sometimes as a means of settling disputes.
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| Image: "Chunky" was the popular game of the Mississippians |
After 1200, the city on the Macon Plateau gradually lost its cultural center. People either migrated elsewhere or mixed with those who were the original inhabitants of the region. The Mississippian civilization was established in places such as Etowah in northern Georgia, Mountville in Alabama, and Spiro in Oklahoma.
By 1350, a new Mississippian town, known today as Lamar, was established about two and a half miles up the Okmulgee River from the Macon Plateau. The inhabitants built two earthen mounds, one of which was surrounded by steps. Only these survive here. These Mississippian cultures from different places are protected as separate units of the Okmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.
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Image: A clay mound of Mississippian culture preserved today |
A Spanish explorer named Hernando de Soto lived with and spoke with many Mississippians from 1539 to 1543. He has written about many aspects of their culture. After his contact they were directly influenced by the Europeans.
It is believed that by the mid-1500s, Mississippian civilization began to completely collapse, and people began to leave their cities and move elsewhere. It may be that the arrival of Europeans led to outbreaks of various diseases among the natives. Another possibility is that over-cultivation of the land has reduced the nutrient content of the soil, thereby reducing crop production. People left the city but left behind evidence of their residence. The Mississippian civilization was one of the most complex and sophisticated civilizations in North America before European settlement in these areas.