The dramatic cultural changes experienced by the native inhabitants of the Southeastern United States at the end of the Late Woodland period and the beginning of the Mississippian period around A.D. 1000 represent a major step in the development of cultural complexity in the region. At that time, Late Woodland tribes, characterized by decentralized political systems and a social status hierarchy based on personal achievement, changed to chiefdoms typified by centralized political systems (a central authority controlling multiple communities) and a hierarchical social organization in which elite status was inherited at birth. The causes and processes by which these changes took place have been debated by archaeologists for years and are probably applicable to similar types of culture change in other parts of the world. This project will consider the geographical clustering of settlements around administrative centers with earthen mounds, a pattern that is characteristic of the Mississippian period and indicative of political centralization. Under the supervision of Dr. David J. Hally, Julie Markin will search for evidence of site clustering in northern Georgia during the Late Woodland period and transitional Woodstock phase (A.D. 800-1000) in the State's archaeological database of 40,000 sites. Determination of site clustering during the Late Woodland period and/or Woodstock phase may indicate that the significant change enabling the rise of Mississippian chiefdoms was the development of centralized political institutions within existing tribes, eliminating the argument that chiefdoms arose through the coercion or conquest of neighboring tribes. As changes in subsistence affect not only dietary adaptations, but also social and political complexity, identification of changes in food production strategies is also important for understanding the rise of Mississippian culture. To this end, Markin will also analyze botanical collections and pottery vessel forms from Woodstock phase sites across northern Georgia to determine whether intensive maize agriculture developed at that time or later in the Mississippian period. The importance of this project is twofold. First, it will provide a foundation for understanding the political changes that led to the development of Mississippian chiefdoms in general and the rise of political complexity in chiefdom type societies around the world. Second, in addition to the impacts it will have in the academic community, this research is important for the opportunities it will provide for amateurs and undergraduates to learn about archaeology through public outreach projects. To this point, Markin has directed two undergraduate field schools and 1300 volunteer hours of excavation and survey at Woodstock phase sites. Volunteers and undergraduates will continue to be included in this project. Finally, this research will be accessible to academic and non-academic communities through public presentations (professional conferences, school programs, non-profit archaeological volunteer societies) and publication of the data to further develop the database from which archaeologists can understand the many changes that occurred during this period of transition.
