The Spiro Panoply: An Examination, Structural Analysis, and Hypothetical Re-creation of Middle Mississippian Defensive Equipment and Weapon Systems

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

With the recognition that violence, warfare, and trophy display within the North American Southeast was endemic during the Mississippian Cultural Period, an in-depth analysis of the equipment used by warring groups is now necessary. By examining the “Conquering Warrior” and associated human effigy pipes from the Great Mortuary at Spiro Mounds and elsewhere, an identification and hypothetical re-creation of the armor components evident on the figure(s) can be undertaken, elements of their use and function analyzed through experimental reconstruction and testing, and cross-cultural comparisons to analogous armor traditions and personal defensive equipment made. Taken together, these studies and experimental reconstructions will lead to a better understanding of the material practices of Middle Mississippian and associated regional expressions’ methods of organized violence, the display by individuals within a martial and social context, and recognition of socioeconomic elements applied to the individual and their connections to the Mississippian Ideological Interaction Sphere and beyond.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37446.0