Even though Great Oasis
had little contact with
Cahokia
its pottery was still found in many of the surrounding areas. The Great Oasis
peoples nearest neighbors were the Mill Creek Peoples of Iowa. Great Oasis is a
part of the Plains phase and the
Late Woodland pattern.
The Great Oasis culture existed during the Late Woodland and early Mississippian time periods. They seemed to have little contact with the other major societies of the time. There is little evidence of interaction with Cahokia or the Oneota peoples.
The
Great Oasis peoples cultivated corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers, as well as
many wild plants. Bison were hunted but mainly on a seasonal basis. In the
summer they gathered in large groups to hunt the bison. Deer and elk were the
primary sources of meat, as well as wolves, coyotes, rabbits, and gophers.
Fish, turtle, and waterfowl were hunted as well. The Great Oasis peoples had a
central housing complex surrounded by smaller seasonal camps. They lived in
semi-subterranean houses. The houses were constructed by digging holes and
placing large posts in the ground. The large timbers were then covered with a
mesh of smaller branches, which were then covered by grass "tempered" mud. This
structure was sometimes covered partially or completely by dirt. One of these
houses is thought to have held 10 to 20 people. The Great Oasis peoples
would stay in one site for a number of years, until the natural resources were
used up and then move on to a new site. After a time they would then return to
the original site.
The pottery of the Great Oasis peoples was somewhat archaic by the standards of the area and time. They still used grit tempering, even though nearby neighbors used shell tempering. The pottery was usually made with a cord wrapped paddle but then smoothed over before adding decorations. A common design on Great Oasis pottery is triangles along the base with parallel lines in the background.
"Northwest Iowa Farmers" Film Strip by Iowa P.A.S.T. and University of Iowa Audio Visual Center (197-)