Document 11-1: Moundville (ca. 1000–1450 C.E.)

An Artist Uses Archaeological Evidence to Imagine an Ancient City

The Mississippian cultures of North America shared much in common with the larger and better-known civilizations of Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence points to a hierarchical society with a priest and warrior elite, intensive cultivation of maize, a lively trade in luxury goods, and tribute systems in which more powerful groups exacted resources and slaves from less powerful ones. The artist’s reconstruction included here shows the Mississippian settlement of Moundville as it might have appeared in its heyday. Located in present-day Alabama, Moundville had a population of about 1,000 in the settlement itself, with a total population in the settlement and surrounding agricultural lands of about 10,000. As you examine the artist’s reconstruction, look for clues about Moundville’s social, political, and economic life. What can you deduce about Mississippian culture from the people, objects, and buildings included in the picture?

image
National Geographic Creative/Bridgeman Images.

READING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. What evidence does the picture provide of social hierarchy? How did the people of Moundville display their status?
  2. What role does trade appear to have played in Moundville life? What evidence does the picture provide of labor specialization?
  3. What does the decision of Moundville’s people to build the massive pyramid in the center of the settlement tell you about their society? What must have been true about their society to make such an achievement possible?