The Mississippi Culture and the North American Indians.
The Mississippian Period in the Midwest and Southeastern United States (approximately 800–1600 AD) witnessed the development of some of the most complex societies in North America. The Mississippians were horticulturalists. They grew most of their food in small gardens using simple tools like stone axes, digging sticks, and fire. Their crops included corn, beans, squash, sunflowers, goosefoot, sumpweed, and other plants. They also gathered wild plants and hunted animals such as deer, turkeys, and small game. Fish, shellfish, and turtles were collected from rivers, streams, and ponds. Unlike modern people, the Mississippians spent much of their lives outdoors. Their homes served mainly as shelter from bad weather, sleeping quarters in cold months, and storage spaces. These structures were rectangular or circular post buildings, with walls made of woven branches and reeds, sometimes covered in sun-dried clay or plaster. Roofs were thatched, with a small...