Scientists have divided Native American or American Indian history into numerous periods and phases. The materials in the MAC Quest Program are presented using the following simplified time periods. As you broaden your studies beyond the MAC Quest Program, you will come across many different period labels and dates. Don't be confused by these various dates and labels. Missouri is a large state. Not all lifestyle changes happened in the same way, at the same time across the State. The MAC Quest Program periods and dates most accurately reflect the changes that occured in the St. Louis region. As additional archaeological sites from across the State are added, any adjustments in period names and dates will be noted within the information available for those sites.
Paleoindian Period: 9,500 –– 8,500 BC
Evidence shows that Missouri was first inhabited over 11,000 years ago. These people lived in small groups of 20–40 individuals. They lived a highly mobile existence, meaning that they were almost always on the move. Following herds of giant animals, such as long-horned bison and mastodon, they hunted smaller animals and gathered edible plants. These hunter-gatherers probably only hunted the giant animals when a safe opportunity presented itself, such as finding young, old, or wounded mastodon. They may have selected campsites overlooking watering holes, thus increasing their chances of encountering such opportunities. This strategy is called opportunistic hunting. Gradually, near the end of the Paleoindian Period, the larger game like the mastodon began to disappear or become extinct. The extinction of the giant animals marks the end of the Paleoindian Period.
Dalton Period: 8,500 – 7,900 BC
To adjust to the loss of giant game, the Dalton Period diet shifted more and more to smaller game as their meat source. It is likely that the gathering of food from wild plants also increased. While the people of the Dalton Period still lived a highly mobile lifestyle, the size of their territory became smaller than that of the Paleoindians. The size of and movements within their territory were no longer defined by the migration of herds. Rather, they were determined by the Dalton Period peoples—efforts to most efficiently use the natural resources throughout the change of seasons. The Dalton Period people may have lived in more northern areas of the state during warmer seasons, while migrating southward during the colder seasons.
Early Archaic Period: 7,900 – 6,000 BC
The earth had been gradually warming since the Paleoindian groups had lived in Missouri. A general trend of decreasing moisture (rain & snow) that was experienced during the Paleo-Indian Period continued through the Dalton Period, reaching a time of very dry conditions during the Early and much of the Middle Archaic Periods. The people of the Early Archaic Period may have lived at a number of seasonal camps within a smaller geographic area than during the Dalton Period.
Middle Archaic Period: 6,000 – 3,000 BC
The continued dry weather led to prairies displacing forests in most of Missouri's upland and bottomland areas. The Middle Archaic people responded to these changes by concentrating along major streams and rivers. They probably preferred these areas along major waterways, as the dry weather had diminished other sources of water.
Late Archaic Period: 3,000 – 600 BC
The climate had been gradually becoming more and more dry during the Early and much of the Middle Archaic Periods. A time of increasing moisture then began and continued throughout the Late Archaic Period. The people of the Late Archaic Period continued living along major waterways, but as the forests returned to the uplands, they spread to these areas as well. Late Archaic groups may have moved between two camps: a warm season camp and a cold season camp. Some groups may have lived in one year-round village, while sending out small groups to special function sites. This division of labor or division of tasks was an efficient lifestyle. Less time was spent moving, allowing more time for more productive tasks. The use of pottery first appeared in parts of Missouri during this time. However, its use was not very widespread.
Early Woodland Period: 600 BC – AD 150
The weather became warm and dry again during this period, and once again people preferred living along major waterways. Pottery became more widespread. It appears that in addition to gathering edible plants, people of this period began gardening.
Middle Woodland Period: AD 150 – 300
The people of the Middle Woodland Period continued to improve on year-round village living through the use pottery and gardening. Pottery may have been useful in gardening, as it enabled the storage of seeds and easier transport of water. The bulk of the diet was still provided through hunting and gathering. However, the crops were an important addition, especially those that could be dried and stored for use during the winter months, when hunting and gathering are less fruitful. Thus, the ability to grow and store crops further enhanced their ability to stay in one place for longer and longer periods of time.
Late Woodland Period: AD 300 – 800
The use of gardening and pottery was very common throughout Missouri by the Late Woodland Period. The use of the bow & arrow appeared in Missouri during this time. Its use spread quickly, as it was a better hunting weapon than the spear or the spear thrower (atlatl).
Emergent Mississippian Period: AD 800 –1,000
The people of the Emergent Mississippian Period continued in the use of pottery, gardening, and the bow & arrow. Many plants that we consider weeds, such as goosefoot and dockweed were grown as grain crops during this period. The various efficiencies (better ways of doing things) that were adopted during previous periods combined during this period to allow for the development of larger and larger permanent villages. The adoption of corn or maize as a crop started to appear in Missouri at this time. The widespread adoption of corn would spark significant lifestyle and cultural changes in the period to follow.
Mississippian Period: AD 1,000 – 1,400
The various efficiencies adopted by the inhabitants of Missouri over the initial 10, 000 or so years led to several trends in lifestyle: group size increasing, territory size decreasing, and amount of time spent in one place increasing. The widespread use of corn as crop dramatically fueled these lifestyle trends. Growing corn allowed people to produce significantly greater amounts of food. Furthermore, corn could be easily stored for use during the colder seasons. This led to increased populations, with some villages growing into large cities. One such city, which archaeologists call Cahokia, grew to a population of possibly 15,000 residents.
The growth of cities led to a change in leadership or government. A respected family elder most likely led Paleoindian groups. As group size increased over time to include multiple families living within the same village, a respected member among the village elders may have served as leader. Evidence shows that a more formal style of leadership or government emerged during the Mississippian Period. From the great city of Cahokia, located several miles East of St. Louis, a powerful king or ruler governed over a vast kingdom. The ruler at Cahokia, may have been thought to possess special spiritual powers. With Cahokia at its center, he ruled over a culture that reached from Minnesota to Florida.
Sometime near AD 1,400 this vast and powerful empire fell apart. There are many theories as to the cause or causes of its downfall. Perhaps they became too dependent upon corn. Changes in weather may have interrupted the supply of corn. Thus, corn may have led to both the rise and fall of Cahokia. Whatever the case, by the time the first Europeans arrived in the area, Cahokia was no more.
Historic Period: From the time of European contact with the inhabitants of Missouri forward. The European explorers found various tribes living in villages, large and small, throughout Missouri. The lifestyles of the various groups in many ways were similar to that of the Emergent Mississippian and Woodland periods.