Woodland Health
Overall, the health of Woodland people appears to have been very good, similar to that of the Archaic. Dietary diversity that included plant and animal foods from both terrestrial and aquatic sources may be largely responsible for their good health. Other factors that may have promoted a healthy population might include cooking in ceramic pots, and increased use of stored foods during leaner times. However, there is still evidence for seasonal food shortages.
In spite of overall good health, violence and traumatic injury are notable among some later Woodland burial populations. Many individuals from Late Woodland burial mounds have broken bones, crushed skulls and arrowpoints imbedded in bone, all reflecting the high social cost of increased sedentism and the creation of social and political boundaries between different Woodland cultures.