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Quick study: Woodland Period

A “cheat sheet” covering basic information about the Woodland Period and its key characteristics.

Cherokee Nation v. the State of Georgia, 1831

In North Carolina in the New Nation, page 10.6

When Georgia tried to subject the Cherokee to state law, they sued the state in federal court. The Supreme Court ruled against them in 1831, in this decision written by Chief Justice John Marshall. Includes historical commentary.

Format: court decision

Commentary and sidebar notes by L. Maren Wood and David Walbert.

Intrigue of the Past

Lesson plans and essays for teachers and students explore North Carolina's past before European contact. Designed for grades four through eight, the web edition of this book covers fundamental concepts, processes, and issues of archaeology, and describes the peoples and cultures of the Paleoindian, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian periods.

Format: book (multiple pages)

Peoples of the mountains

In Prehistory, contact, and the Lost Colony, page 2.5

During the Mississippian period, corn agriculture became more important in the mountains of North Carolina. More productive agriculture supported larger populations and provided opportunities for accumulating wealth. This brought about increased social ranking and political centralization. The Mountain region was creating its own identity -- an identity that archaeologists tie to the modern-day Cherokee. Archaeologists have given the names Pisgah and Qualla to these Cherokee ancestors.

Format: article

Fundamental concepts: Introduction

In Intrigue of the Past, page 1.1

British archaeologist Stuart Piggott once called archaeology “the science of rubbish.” There is truth to his statement. Archaeologists spend lifetimes investigating the abandoned remains of ancient societies.

The pottery makers

In Intrigue of the Past, page 3.4

Archaeologists do a bit of shrugging when asked about the Woodland—that time and lifeway tucked between 1000 BC and AD 1000. Some things they readily understand, but others leave them wondering.

John White searches for the colonists

In Prehistory, contact, and the Lost Colony, page 4.6

In this excerpt from the report of his voyage, John White explains how he and the crew of two ships searched for the lost colonists on Roanoke Island but could not find them.

Format: article

The village farmers

In Intrigue of the Past, page 3.5

North Carolina sat on a crossroads by AD 1000. Cultural ideas from other places breezed through it and around it: how to decorate pottery, how to orient political and social life, how to honor the dead, how to structure towns.

Resources on the web

American Epic

Multimedia games, stories, and other materials to teach key concepts in social studies. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: Americanepic.org