The Woodland (1,000 B.C.E- 1,000 A.D)

The Woodland period ranges from 1,000 B.C.E. - 1,000 A.D. and tends to be split into three parts: Early Woodland (1,000 B.C.E. - 200 A.D.), Middle Woodland (200 A.D. - 500 A.D.) and the Late Woodland (500 A.D. - 1,000 A.D).  

People in the Woodland lived in rockshelters and small villages. They were more sedentary than previously, likely due to an increase in gardening and farming. It is during the Woodland that we see mounds and earthworks being made. The construction of these mounds hints that society was more complex than previously, as the construction would have needed a large workforce and someone to lead the project. 

During the Early Woodland, we see maize (more commonly known as corn!) being introduced to the Kentucky region. Maize originates in Southern Mexico. While people still relied on other foods such as sunflower, squash, and chenopodium, maize quickly became an important part of people’s diets. Growing plants such as maize meant that people were less reliant on gathering for food and tied them to the same area for longer amounts of time. Reliance on maize would increase until the Late Woodland, at which time it made up a large part of people’s diets. 

It is during the Woodland that we first see the adoption of the bow and arrow. This new tool gave hunters better accuracy and distance than the use of spears and atlatls. It is also during this period that pottery becomes widespread. There is also an increase in the type of pottery created, with pans, funnels, and covered water bottles being used. 

For more information about the Woodland period, please see the resources below: 

(All images from Culture History of Kentucky Coloring Book)