Studies in Archeology: Mississippian Settlement Patterns explains the cultural organization of many of the prehistoric societies in the Eastern United States during the last 1000 years of their existence. This book emphasizes the difference between the central core of Mississippian societies and those peripheral societies that preceded its development. Readers are advised to begin the examination of this compilation by reading Chapter 16 first, followed by Chapters 8 to 13 and 15, in order to understand the variations of patterning among societies that are commonly regarded as nascent or developed Mississippian. The rest of the chapters analyze cultural groups on the West, North, and Northeast that are not Mississippian societies, including a discussion of late prehistoric societies that are in some ways divergent but are sometimes regarded as Mississippian. This publication is valuable to archeologists, historians, and researchers conducting work on Mississippian societies.

First published in 1996. In recent years there has been a general increase of scholarly and popular interest in the study of ancient civilizations. Yet, because archaeologists and other scholars tend to approach their study of ancient peoples and places almost exclusively from their own disciplinary perspectives, there has long been a lack of general bibliographic and other research resources available for the non-specialist. This series is intended to fill that need.