Northern Plains Woodland

The woodland tradition existed in the Northern Plains from as early as 500 BC to as late as AD 1500. The majority esisted between AD 1 and AD 1000. This area can be further divided into the Northwestern Plains and the Northeastern Plains. The Northwestern Plains consisted of the area west of the Missouri river to the Rocky foothills and North of Wyoming's/South Dakota's southern border. The Northeastern Plains covers the area east of the Missouri river to the Minnesota Woodlands and North of the southern South Dakota border into Canada.

The Northwestern Plains Woodland tradition is centered on three main cultural complexes that are the Besant, Avonlea, and Old Women's Complexes. The main thing that separates these groups from the Archaic is the manufacturing and use of ceramics. Another distinction between the Archaic and Woodland groups is the use and construction of burial mounds. There is not any evidence of horticulture being practiced and even semi-sedentary camps are absent. Their main food source continued to be the bison.

The Northeastern Plains is not as well-known as the Northwestern Plains. The two best known complexes  are the Valley and Loseke complexes. The Valley complex existed from about AD 1 to AD 600. They are characterized by their Valley Cord - roughened ceramic that have been found throughout the area. Although these groups are connected by their ceramic types they were probably very diverse culturally. The bison was the main food source along with other land mammals and wild plants. It is thought that gardening and other horticultural practices start to appear later on. The Loseke Creek complex follows the Valley Complex and existed from about AD 450 to AD 800. These people originated in Nebraska and spread into parts of South Dakota along the Missouri River Valley. The two best known sites are located two miles apart in South Dakota's Missouri River Valley. These sites are Scalp Creek and Ellis Creek. These sites contain storage pits and fire hearths along with food remains that indicate the consumption of Bison, deer, elk, and other mammals, as well as fish and shell fish. The presence of grinding stones also indicates the use of plants to some degree.

link 2http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/manarchnet/chronology/woodland/

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