Home Region:  Mississippi Basin (North America)

Cahokia - Late Woodland I

300 CE 450 CE
D G SC WF RG EQ 2020  us_woodland_3 / USMisRo
Preceding Entity: Add one more here.
150 BCE 300 CE Cahokia - Middle Woodland (us_woodland_2)    [continuity]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.
450 CE 600 CE Cahokia - Late Woodland II (us_woodland_4)    [continuity]


  General Description   2000 BCE

Period of population growth begins [1]

1 CE
c1 CE "large quantities of native cultigens began to be incorporated into midcontinental diets. [1]

100 CE
Maize appears in the archaeological record [2]
Atlatl is the contemporary weapon [2]
"periodic rituals at ceremonial mound centers" [2]
"groups ensured access to needed resources through maintenance of alliance-exchange relationships" [2]

200 CE
300 CE
Early arrowheads appear. "Beginning A.D. 300-400, the bow replaced the atlatl in most regions" [2]
In the Mississippian region (Midwest and Upland South) the transition from atlatl to bow was "relatively rapid because dart points disappear from the archaeological record" [2]
Introduction of the bow in the Mississippi region decreased social complexity because it caused the collapse of the Hopewell system, the abandonment of mound centers and alliance-exchange relationships [2]
Bow enabled a new bow and native crops subsistence strategy which lead to a movement to and the effective exploitation of previously marginal lands and "household autonomy" [2]
There followed an economic intensification and population growth which eventually "packed the landscape with settlements." [2]

400 CE
500 CE

"The greatest environmental hazard would have been a late summer Mississippi River flood similar to the one that took place in 1993. A rise in the river at that time of the year simultaneously drowned crops, prevented easy fishing in shallow ponds, and ruined food stored in underground pits. Floods attributable to severe storms, including excessive water funnelled into the floodplain by creeks that drain the uplands, certainly caused localized disasters much like they did a century ago before effective flood-control measures were put in place." [3]
"No other major site was as advantageously situated. Cahokia was located in what was by far the widest expanse of land suitable for settlement in the American Bottom. More people could live there than anywhere else ... The high ground where Cahokia was located was bordered on the north and south by large tracts of low-lying land that received the waters of different upland streams." [3]

[1]: (Milner, Chaplin and Zavodny 2013)

[2]: (Blitz and Porth 2013, 89-95)

[3]: (Milner 2006, 168)

General Variables
Social Complexity Variables
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.
Crisis Consequences Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3) was in:
 (300 CE 449 CE)   Cahokia
Home NGA: Cahokia
General Variables
Identity and Location Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Utm Zone 15 S Confident Expert 300 CE  450 CE
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Original Name Cahokia - Late Woodland I Confident Expert 300 CE  450 CE
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Alternative Name American Bottom Confident Expert 300 CE  450 CE
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Alternative Name Late Woodland Confident Expert 300 CE  450 CE
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Alternative Name Rosewood Phase Confident Expert 300 CE  450 CE
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Temporal Bounds Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Peak Years 450 CE Confident Expert
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Duration [300 CE ➜ 450 CE] Confident Expert
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Political and Cultural Relations Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Suprapolity Relations none Confident Expert 300 CE  450 CE
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Supracultural Entity Late Woodland Confident Expert 300 CE  450 CE
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Succeeding Entity Cahokia - Late Woodland II Confident Expert 300 CE  450 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity continuity Confident Expert 300 CE  450 CE
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Succeeding Entity
450 CE 600 CE
Cahokia - Late Woodland II (us_woodland_4)   [continuity]  Confident Expert
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Preceding Entity
150 BCE 300 CE
Cahokia - Middle Woodland (us_woodland_2)   [continuity]  Confident Expert
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Degree of Centralization none Confident Expert 300 CE  450 CE
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Language Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Linguistic Family NO_VALUE_ON_WIKI Confident Expert 300 CE  450 CE
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Religion Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Population of the Largest Settlement [30 to 50] people Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Settlement Hierarchy 1 Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Religious Level - Suspected 300 CE  450 CE
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Military Level - Suspected 300 CE  450 CE
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Administrative Level [1 to 2] Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Professions Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Soldier Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Professional Priesthood Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Professional Military Officer Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Occupational Complexity Uncoded Undecided 300 CE  450 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Government Building Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Merit Promotion Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Examination System Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Law Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Lawyer Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Judge Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
Court Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Market Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Irrigation System Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Food Storage Site Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Road Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Port Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Canal Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Bridge Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
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Mines or Quarry Present Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Information / Writing System Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Written Record Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Script Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Scientific Literature Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Sacred Text Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Religious Literature Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Practical Literature Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Philosophy Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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History Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Fiction Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Calendar Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Information / Money Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Paper Currency Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Indigenous Coin Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Foreign Coin Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Article Present Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Information / Postal System Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Postal Station Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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General Postal Service Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Courier Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Information / Measurement System Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Wooden Palisade Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Modern Fortification Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Moat Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Fortified Camp Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Earth Rampart Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Ditch Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Complex Fortification Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Long Wall absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Military use of Metals Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Steel Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Iron Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Bronze Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Projectiles Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Tension Siege Engine Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Sling Siege Engine Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Sling Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Self Bow Present Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Javelin Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Handheld Firearm Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Crossbow Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Composite Bow Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Atlatl Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Handheld weapons Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
War Club Present Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Sword Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Spear Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Polearm Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Dagger Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Battle Axe Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Animals used in warfare Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Horse Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Elephant Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Donkey Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Dog Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Camel Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Armor Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Wood Bark Etc Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Shield Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Scaled Armor Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Plate Armor Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Limb Protection Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Leather Cloth Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Laminar Armor Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Helmet Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Chainmail Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Breastplate Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Naval technology Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Military Vessel Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service Absent Confident 300 CE  450 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain Absent Inferred 300 CE  450 CE
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Human Sacrifice Cahokia - Late Woodland I (us_woodland_3)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Instability Data
Power Transitions