List of archaeological periods (North America)

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Many archaeological periods, cultures, complexes, and peoples have been identified in North America.

[edit] Five Stage Classification

One of the most enduring classifications of archaeological periods & cultures was established in Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips' 1958 book Method and Theory in American Archaeology. They divided the archaeological record in the Americas into 5 phases. These are:

For more detail on these five major stages, which are still in use in Mesoamerican archaeology, see Mesoamerican chronology and Archaeology of the Americas. Also refer to the articles for each stage.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Paleo Indians (Lithic stage) (18000 BCE - 8000 BCE)		Clovis culture
		Western Fluted Point Tradition		c. 11200 BCE - 9000 BCE, California
		Post Pattern		c. 11000 BCE - 7000 BCE, NW California
		Folsom tradition		c. 9000 BCE - 8000 BCE
		Dalton Tradition		c. 8500 BCE - 7900 BCE
Archaic period, (Archaic stage) (8000 BCE - 1000 BCE)	by Time Period	Early Archaic 8000 BCE - 6000 BCE	Plano cultures
			Paleo-Arctic Tradition	8000 BCE - 5000 BCE
			Maritime Archaic
			Red Paint People
		Middle Archaic 6000 BCE - 3000 BCE	Chihuahua tradition	c. 6000 BCE - c. 250 CE
		Late Archaic 3000 BCE - 1000 BCE	Arctic Small Tool tradition	2500 BCE - 800 BCE
			Aleutian tradition	2500 BCE - 1800 BCE
	by location	Great Basin	Desert Archaic
			Middle Archaic
			Late Archaic
		Mesoamerica	Mexican Archaic
		Southwest: Southwestern Archaic Traditions	San Dieguito-Pinto tradition	c. 6500 BCE - c. 200 CE
			Chihuahua (Southeastern) Tradition	c. 6000 BCE - c. 250 CE
			Oshara (Northern) Tradition	c. 5500 BCE - c. 600 CE
			Cochise Tradition	5000 BCE - 200 BCE
		California	Millingstone Horizon (or Encinitas Tradition)	c. 5500 BCE - 1500 BCE
			Intermediate Horizon (or Campbell Tradition)	c. 1500 BCE - 1000 CE
Post-archaic period, (Post-archaic stage) (1000 BCE - Present)	in North	Norton tradition	Choris Stage	c. 1000 BCE - 500 BCE
			Norton	500 BCE - 800 CE
			Ipiutak Stage	1 CE - 800 CE
		Dorset culture		500 BCE - 1500 CE
		Thule people		1000 CE - 1600 CE
	in Southwest and by Pecos Classification	Early Basketmaker II Era		1200 BCE - 50 CE
		Late Basketmaker II Era		50 CE - 500 CE
		Basketmaker III Era		500 CE - 750 CE
		Pueblo I Era		750 CE - 900 CE
		Pueblo II Era		900 CE - 1150 CE
		Pueblo III Era		1150 CE - 1350 CE
		Pueblo IV Era		1350 CE - 1600 CE
		Pueblo V Era		1600 CE - Present
	in Southwest and by peoples	Ancient Pueblo Peoples (Anasazi)		1 CE - 1300 CE
		Hohokam		200 CE - 1450 CE
		Fremont		400 CE - 1350 CE
		Patayan		700 CE - 1550 CE
		Mogollon		700 CE - 1400 CE
	in East and by peoples	Early Woodland Period 1000 BCE - 1 CE	Adena culture	1000 BCE - 100 BCE
			Deptford culture	800 BCE - 200 CE
		Middle Woodland Period 1 - 500	Hopewell culture	200 BCE - 400 CE
			Swift Creek culture A Hopewellian culture.	100 - 500
			Santa Rosa-Swift Creek culture A Hopewellian culture.	100 - 300
			Marksville culture A Hopewellian culture.	1 - 400
			Copena culture A Hopewellian culture.	1 - 500
		Late Woodland Period 500 - 1000	Coles Creek culture	700 - 1100
		Mississippian culture 900 - 1500 (ending with European contact)	Early Mississippian culture	1000 - 1200
			Middle Mississippian culture	1200 - 1400
			Late Mississippian culture	1400 - 1500 (or European contact)
		Fort Ancient A non-Mississippian culture.		1000 - 1550
	in Florida, by culture	Weeden Island culture 200 - 900	Weeden Island Northwest culture	300-900
			Weeden Island North peninsular coast culture	200-900
			McKeithen culture	200 - 700
			Cades Pond culture	200 - 700
		Fort Walton culture		900 - European contact
		Island Pond culture		700 - European contact
		Alachua culture		700 - European contact
		Manasota culture		550 BCE - 800 CE
		Safety Harbor culture		800 - European contact
		Caloosahatchee culture		500 BCE - European contact
		St. Johns culture		550 BCE - European contact
		Indian River culture		550 BCE - European contact
		Belle Glade culture		1050 BCE - European contact
		Glades culture		550 BCE - European contact