Beyond Good Grey Culture: Rethinking Early Woodland Origins in the Lower Mississippi Valley

Summary

The origins of Early Woodland cultures have long been poorly understood, but recent data from sites in the Yazoo and Tensas basins, and from sites along the coast are providing new perspectives on the development of the Woodland tradition in the Lower Mississippi Valley. In this paper we summarize Steve Williams’ contributions to understanding Woodland origins and update his work with new data. In contrast to earlier thinking, recent research shows that Woodland peoples in the Lower Mississippi Valley have complicated ancestries with multiple histories. These aren’t monolithic Good Grey Cultures; instead, the Early Woodland is a period of dynamic change as vibrant populations adapted to novel environmental and social circumstances following the collapse of Poverty Point.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21453