South Appalachian Mississippian Mississippian culture

stone effigies found @ etowah site

the term south appalachian province used w. h. holmes in 1903 describe regional ceramic style in southeast involving surface decorations applied carved wooden paddle. late 1960s archaeological investigations had shown similarity of culture produced pottery , midwestern mississippian pattern defined in 1937 midwestern taxonomic system.

in 1967 james b. griffin coined south appalachian mississippian describe evolving understanding of peoples of southeast. south appalachian mississippian area sites distributed across contiguous area including alabama, georgia, northern florida, south carolina, central , western north carolina, , tennessee. chronologically area became influenced mississippian culture later middle mississippian area (about 1000 ce compared 800 ce) northwest. believed peoples of area adopted mississippian traits northwestern neighbors.

typical settlements located on riverine floodplains , included villages defensive palisades enclosing platform mounds , residential areas. etowah , ocmulgee (both located in georgia) prominent examples of south appalachian mississippian settlements.