Irrigated deserts, cliff palaces, and great river cities—networks that bridged the Southwest and the Mississippi Valley.
Mesoamerica
Includes the Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, and Mexica/Aztec.
The Andes
Includes the Chavín, Moche, Nazca, Wari, Tiwanaku, and Inca.
South America
Includes the Chimor, Mochehe and Inca civilization in the Andes.
The Caribbean
Includes the Taíno, Carib, and the Arawak from the Eastern and Western Caribbean Islands
Northern North America
Indigenous tribes in regions north of the Rio Grande include: the Coahuiltecan, the Lipan Apache and Comanche, the Hopewell Culture and Mississippi Culture, and the Iroquois Confederacy: Comprising the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and later the Tuscarora nations.
Amazonia
Includes the Yanomamo, Kayapo, Marajoara, and the Tapajó.
Southern North America
Indigenous tribes in regions south of the Rio Grande include: The Coahuiltecan, Lipan Apache, Tonkawa, Karankawa, and the Jumano.
Quick Facts
- Major cultures: Ancestral Puebloans, Hohokam, Mogollon, Mississippian (e.g., Cahokia)
- Timeframes: c. 200–1500 CE (region-specific)
- Notable customs & beverages: ballcourts (Hohokam), kivas; black drink (yaupon holly) in the Southeast
- Languages/scripts: Uto-Aztecan, Caddoan, Muskogean, Siouan families; oral traditions
Timeline of the Ancestors
- 200–1150 CE — Hohokam — Canal irrigation, shell trade; ballcourts in the Sonoran.
- 500–1300 CE — Ancestral Puebloans — Great Houses, cliff dwellings, kivas in the Four Corners.
- 1050–1350 CE — Mississippian fluorescence — Cahokia’s mounds, plazas, and exchange.
Peoples & Cultures
- Hohokam — Irrigation engineers; shell and obsidian exchange.
- Ancestral Puebloans — Chacoan roads, ceremonial architecture.
- Mississippian — Platform mounds, Southeastern Ceremonial Complex.
Sites & Landscapes
- Chaco Canyon / Mesa Verde — Monumental architecture.
- Hohokam canal systems — Phoenix basin.
- Cahokia — Monk’s Mound and plaza layout.
Customs & Beverages
- Rituals: kiva ceremonies; mound-plaza gatherings.
- Daily life: maize agriculture; craft guilds; long-distance trade.
- Beverages: black drink (Southeast), maize-based beers.
Artifacts & Iconography
- Shell gorgets, copper plates, polished ceramics, architectural timberwork.
Language & Scripts
- Languages: Uto-Aztecan, Caddoan, Muskogean, Siouan.
- Writing: none attested pre-contact.
Further Reading & Sources
- Add 3–6 reputable sources or museum pages here.
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