The Mississippian was an epoch of the Carboniferousperiod lasting from roughly 360 to 325 Ma (million years ago). As with most other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified, but the exact start and end dates are uncertain by a few million years. The Mississippian is so-named because rocks from this age are exposed in the Mississippi River valley. Mississippian may refer to one of the following: Mississippian (geologic period), an epoch of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly 360 Ma to 325 Ma (million years ago) Mississippian culture, a mound-building American Indian culture that flourished in the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 900 to... The Carboniferous is a major division of the geologic timescale that extends from the end of the Devonian period, about 359. ... // For other uses, see time scale. ... Annum is a Latin noun meaning year. ... For other uses, see strata (novel) and strata title. ... For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ...
In North America, where the interval consists primarily of marine limestones, it is treated as a full-fledged geologic period between the Devonian and the Pennsylvanian. In Europe, the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian are one more-or-less continuous sequence of lowland continental deposits and are lumped together as the Carboniferous period. The Appalachian Mountains formed during the Mississippian Epoch. North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ... For the Celtic language, see Southwestern Brythonic language; for the residents of the English county, see Devon. ... The Pennsylvanian is an epoch of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly 325 Ma to 299 Ma (million years ago). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... The Carboniferous is a major division of the geologic timescale that extends from the end of the Devonian period, about 359. ... Appalachians in North Carolina The Appalachian Mountains (French: les Appalaches) are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. ...
The Mississippian Stage is characterized by the construction of large, flat topped mounds, small triangular projectile points, shell tempered pottery, an increased dependence on maize agriculture, and the organization of the population into a chiefdom society.
One of the characteristics of Mississippian settlements is the construction of large earthen, flat-topped mounds.
In the case of Mississippian Indians, this ruling class was organized as a chiefdom, in which their are two groups of people, elites and non-elites, or commoners.
Decked out in their ceremonial and elite finery, the leaders of the Late MississippianPeriod town of Toqua are assembled in front of the civic buildings on the summit of Mound A. The occasion is the "Busk," a four to eight day event that climaxed the ceremonial year.
Elvas describes "...a sort of fan of deerskin...the size of a shield, quartered with fl and white, with a cross made in the middle...set on a small and very long staff...." Current thought is that the cross symbolizes the cardinal directions and the sacred fire, and the circle symbolizes the sun.
MississippianPeriod shell necklace with cut-out and engraved spider, sun disk, and rattlesnake motifs.