Readings:

Please read pp 239-253 in your textbook, and "Mississippian Chiefdoms and the Fission-Fusion Process" by John Blitz.

Thought Questions for Thursday, October 30

What is a Vacant Quarter?

Why did they appear during the Late Mississippian period?

What is the difference between the simple-complex chiefdom cycle and the fission-fusion cycle proposed by Blitz?

Why do you think chiefdoms appeared to be less complex in the Late Mississippian than the Middle Mississippian?