Symbols of Ferociousness: Oneota Trophy Taking

Summary

The late prehistoric Oneota tradition developed and spread rapidly across an immense territory in a very short period of time. That expansion, and the period of territorial stability which followed were marked by violence on large and small scales. Taking of human trophies was an integral component of the violence of the time and was steeped in warrior tradition, religious ritual and symbolism reflecting broadly held ideologies. Trophy taking was likely more common than has been acknowledged. Diverse but scattered evidence suggests the presence of human trophies was an everyday fact of life and likely fed a war ethos dominant among Oneota and contemporary communities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Blood in the Waters: Violence in the Mississippian and Late Prehistoric Eastern Woodlands

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16448