Mississippian Culture

In this episode, we explore Mississippian culture, a mound-building Native American civilization that flourished across the Midwest and Southeast from about 800 to 1600 CE, known for its powerful chiefdoms, maize-based farming, major centers like Cahokia, far-reaching trade networks, and rich ceremonial traditions, while also tracing its decline and the enduring legacy carried by descendant nations today. We also examine how massive earthen platform mounds reflected sophisticated social organization and spiritual life, and how environmental pressures, climate change, and the arrival of European diseases transformed one of North America’s most influential prehistoric civilizations.