Archaeologists use the term Mississippian when they are referring to the cultural traits of a wide range of groupings of people. It does not infer to a tribe or grouping of a people. A variety of different tribes in the Southeast and Midwest adopted many aspects of the culture referred to as Mississippian. This culture is related to the Western culture in many ways. However, they both describe traits and behaviors that were shared by different tribes and cultures with different languages (Pohl 29).
Over the years, cultures in Asia and South America have been westernized. The same can be associated with cultures across the eastern United States of America as they were “Mississippianized.” Newcomers brought with them new agriculture methods, new styles of pottery, as well as, new types of socializing and a developed economic, political and governance systems. These must have been the Muskogee speakers, later known as the Creek Indians by newcomer Europeans. Based on Creek Indian tradition Ocmulgee Mounds were the sites where they relaxed after long a migration and journey from the western parts of the land. However, some other traditions differ with these. They go ahead to state that they originated at heart of the earth. This is just a mere definition of the Rocky Mountains (Rogers 24).
The original American Mound Builders were from Georgia. They were Indians who were full of creativity, and they would go to any extent to outdo themselves. The Ocmulgee Mounds were Located in Macon which is an ancient centre of civilization consisting of several Indian mounds which are linked to the plazas. Ocmulgee has been re-known for many reasons, but the most striking one is the remains of mounds. Currently there are at least seven mounds, which are still, standing on the site. These mounds include the largest mound, known as the Great Temple Mound. Just adjacent to it, there is the Funeral Mound. The Mississippian Indians are thought to have come from Mexico, which is to the west of the present Georgia. It is known to have several earthquakes and active volcanoes (Smith 25).
The mounds were never constructed at once they were built up over the period many years. The Mississippian Indians lived in the area until 1830 when the US Army forces removed remnants of several Southeastern Indian tribes over the following years. The Cherokee, the Chickasaw and other tribes were forced they were forced out of the region. Ocmulgee Mounds have been occupied over the last 12,000 years. This is evidenced by a Clovis spear point that was found during an excavation. These people lived around that time. The Mississippian culture developed along the Mississippi River. The culture was exceedingly visible from 900-1350 A.D. This culture spread to many parts the central and eastern America (Pohl 34).
They had large, well-organized cities, which were comprised of the moulds. The name Ocmulgee came from a river that seemed to have boiling and bubbling water as observed from the shore. The Mississippian civilization commonly adopted whatever they saw to symbolize something (Rogers 36). The Mississippian Indians at Ocmulgee forced out the previous occupants of the region and started a totally different way of living. The previous inhabitants were referred to as the Woodland Indians. They had a considerably developed culture comprising of advanced economic and political systems than the previous occupants, who had lived in villages for a long part of the years. They were farmers; they grew corn, beans, pumpkins, and other cash crops.
Work cited
Pohl, Amelia. Ocmulgee River. State Standards Pub., 2009. Print.
Rogers, Daniel, and Bruce, Smith. Mississippian Communities and Households. University
of Alabama Press, 1995. Print.
Smith, Bruce. The Mississippian Emergence. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1990. Print
