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Paleo-Indian Archaic Woodland Mississippian European Contact

Woodland Art

Artistic Styles & The Definition Cultural Groups

A particularly distinctive artistic style, and associated symbols (known as the Hopewellian Tradition) became widespread in Eastern North America during the Woodland period. Woodland artisans from the American Bottom area also made art objects that are distinctive from this Eastern North American Hopewellian tradition. For example, several sculpted small clay figurines in the form of humans have been recovered from a site in Calhoun County Illinois, located at the confluence of the Illinois, Missouri, and Mississippi Rivers. These figurines provide details of dress and ornamentation. One statue shows a male in a breech pcloth with red earspools. He is decorated with elaborate body painting with red, white, yellow, and black colors. His hair style features a patch of hair in front and a bun behind the crown of the head combined with cleanly shaven areas. A female figurine from the same area just north of the American Bottom has two prominent hair buns. The woman is shown in a long straight red dress with white stripes.

The development of the new ceramic technology opened up a new medium for artistic expression. Often the cooking vessels were decorated with incised or impressed designs.


Paleo-Indian Archaic Woodland Mississippian European Contact