List of archaeological periods (North America)

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

Contents

[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.

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 and adjacent parts of Alabama and Georgia, by culture Weeden Island culture
100 - 1000
Cades Pond culture 100 - 700
Kolomaki culture 350 - 750
McKeithen Weeden Island culture 200 - 700
Weeden Island I 200 - 750
Weeden Island II 750 - 1000
Wakulla culture 750 - 1000
Fort Walton culture 1000 - European contact
Pensacola culture 1250 - European contact
Suwannee Valley culture 750 - 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
Belle Glade culture 1050 BCE - European contact
Glades culture 550 BCE - European contact

[edit] Cultural and chronological table for Lower Mississippi Valley

Lower Mississippi Periods Yazoo (phases) Dates
Mississippi Russell 1600 to 1800 CE
Lake George, etc. 1400 to 1600 CE
Mayersville 1200 to 1400 CE
Crippen Point 1000 to 1200 CE
Coles Creek Kings Crossing 850 to 1000 CE
Aden 700 to 850 CE
Baytown Bayland 600 to 700 CE
Deasonville 300 to 600 CE
Marksville Issaquena 100 to 300 CE
Anderson Ldg. 100 BCE to 100 CE
Tchula Tuscola 300 to 100 BCE
Jaketown Poverty Point 700 to 300 BCE
No Phase 1000 to 700 BCE


The Kings Crossing Site, the type site for the Kings Crossing Phase of the Coles Creek culture. Illustration by Herb Roe.
The Kings Crossing Site, the type site for the Kings Crossing Phase of the Coles Creek culture. Illustration by Herb Roe.

[edit] References

[edit] See also