Geography
This civilization began around 800 CE in the fertile valley of which major river?
Mississippi River
Name one of the “three sisters” crops grown by the Mississippians.
Corn (also accept beans or squash)
What were the large, flat-topped earthen structures Mississippians built called?
Mounds
Who usually led a Mississippian village and often served as religious leader too?
The chief (priest-chief)
Mississippians believed in many gods. What word describes this?
Polytheistic.
Name two geographic reasons the Mississippian region was good for farming.
Fertile soil from river flooding; temperate weather with frequent rainfall; relatively flat land good for farming.
What two farming methods did Mississippians use to get larger harvests from small plots?
Multiple-cropping and intercropping
What kind of housing framework did Mississippians build using wooden poles and daub?
Wattle-and-daub
What is a chiefdom?
A group of villages and surrounding areas ruled by a central chief
Name the three “worlds” Mississippians believed in.
Upper World, This World, Under World
Around what year does the provided map label the Mississippian civilization?
1400 CE
Define multiple-cropping in a short phrase.
Planting one crop, harvesting it, then immediately planting another in the same field during the same growing season.
How did people get dirt to the top of a mound when building it?
They carried baskets of dirt up ramps and stomped it down to make it hard and flat.
The Mississippian social system had two classes. Name them.
The elite and the common people (commoners)
Describe one belief about the shape or nature of Earth according to Mississippian ideas.
They thought Earth was a flat circle floating on water, hanging by four cords in the four directions
Some Mississippian communities grew very large. According to the text, some communities had populations up to how many people?
40,000 people
Describe how intercropping helped the Mississippians.
Planting multiple crops together (like corn, beans, squash) allowed plants to support each other
Name two purposes for the flat tops of the mounds.
Temples and religious buildings; homes of chiefs or priests; political and religious ceremonies.
Give two examples of duties or roles common people performed.
Grew food, made crafts/pottery, served as warriors, laborers
What kind of events were often held on top of the mounds?
Religious ceremonies and rituals that often marked seasons or harvests; political ceremonies
Explain how the Missouri River joining the Mississippi River helped support Mississippian civilization
The junction produced nutrient-rich soil and abundant water, supporting productive farming that allowed permanent settlements and population growth.
List three non-farming food sources Mississippians used besides crops.
Hunting small animals, fishing, gathering nuts and fruits, waterfowl, turtles.
Describe two defensive structures or techniques used around Mississippian settlements.
Palisades and moats filled by digging a ditch and channeling river water; use of steep riverbanks and low doorways to prevent horses/attackers.
Explain how mounds symbolized political power in a chiefdom.
Cities with the biggest or most mounds had more power and influence
Compare one similarity between Maya and Mississippian religious beliefs based on the text.
Both had priests and rituals/ceremonies often linked to seasons and agriculture; both used large ceremonial centers and built important religious structures.