Upper Mississippian Phase

The Upper Mississippian phase is a part of the Late Woodland period. The Oneota aspect and several sites in southern Minnesota (Silvernale and Cambria) further subdivide the Upper Mississippian phase.

  It is believed that Oneota cultures developed from a Mississippi base. They are also known to have the greatest degree of cultural diversity, and largest number of settled, defended villages known in the prehistoric period. They seem to have occurred in Northern and Western hinterland zones between AD 1050 and AD 1300. The Mississippian site-intrusion-belief is that the Oneota cultures developed from a Mississippi base in order to adapt to a northern deciduous forest habitat and/or climatic deterioration beginning around AD 1300.

Mississippian traits found include-scroll motifs, notched triangular projectile points, and (possible) wall trench structure. (highlight with links and have definitions or pictures for these)

Sites in southeastern Minnesota named Bryan and Silvernale have many related traits to Aztalan in south-central Wisconsin, Apple River focus sites in Northwest Illinois; items such as notched triangular projectile points, Ramey Incised and Powell Plain pottery, copper pendants, and marine-shell colunella.