Mississippian Indians
The Mississippian Indians were the most advanced of the four Native American groups. The Mississippians lived by a chiefdom, which means that a chief was in charge of the entire community. They lived in large villages, and the houses were made of clay and cane. These houses were also called waddle and dab house. These houses were usually rectangular or circular. There were large mounds in each community, which served as the capital of each chiefdom. The Mississippians were believed to practice religion, because many buried bodies were found with artifacts. Their houses were permanent, because they practiced horticulture, which means that they were farmers. Most were vegetarians, and ate very little meat. The Mississippians lived from 1000-1600 AD, and the prehistoric time period ended when Hernando De Soto discovered the Americas, and kept written records.