Early North American Tribes
By Maggie ONeal
Anasazi
The Anasazi tribe constructed dams, ditches, and canals to trap rain from the tops of their houses and channel to the gardens. Their houses were made of adobe and stone, had multiple stories, they were like apartments but made along the cliff walls. The heart of the civilization in Chaco canyon was Pueblo Bonito where there was a massive complex of more than 1000 people. The Anasazi craftsmen made turquoise jewelry, woven baskets, and black on white pottery. Their art and architecture was heavily influenced by late groups such as Hopi and Zuni. They were have thought to have left from many droughts
Adena
The Adena lived in the Ohio valley region around 700 B.C. They grew squash, sunflowers, gourds and barely. They produce amazing copper jewelry and fine pottery. Their burial mounds were very elaborate and made up of log structures covered up by piles of earth.
Hopewell
They arrived in the Ohio valley in about 300 B.C. They built mounds that were 40 feet high and 100 feet wide. The artifacts that were found suggest large trade network. Both the Adena and Hopewell tribes are referred to as "Mound Builders"
Mississippians
They arrived in Mississippi Vally by 800 A.D. They had plants that were used for many different foods. Maize and beans had an increase on population. That increase caused the need of more land. More land made lots of cities with up to 10,000 people in Cahokia (near present-day St. Louis). In the center of the city of Cahokia's was a massive mound approximately 100 feet high and base was more than 14 acres. Surrounding this massive mound were 120 smaller mounds.